News / National
Mnangagwa, Chiwenga 'rift' Zanu-PF speaks out
11 Mar 2019 at 07:06hrs | Views
Zanu-PF has dismissed reports of a purpoted rift between President Mnangagwa and his deputy, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga peddled in yesterday's issue of The Standard newspaper saying "such fiction and fertile imagination was a clear manifestation of yellow journalism".
The Standard report claimed that a feud between President Mnangagwa and VP Chiwenga is escalating following the disbanding of Harare and Bulawayo provincial party structures by President Mnangagwa.
In its article titled "ED Chiwenga feud escalates," the paper said the appointment of Oliver Chidawu as Harare Provincial Affairs Minister by President Mnangagwa is one of the moves in the factional feud.
The story claimed President Mnangagwa disbanded Zanu-PF structures in Harare and Bulawayo following growing concerns that VP Chiwenga's influence was creating two centres of power.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday rubbished the claims saying there was no rift between the two leaders and factionalism only exists in the minds of the party's detractors.
"This is of course the height of gutter journalism, creating an impression that there is any feud existing between our two leaders. Such fiction and fertile imagination is indeed a clear manifestation of yellow journalism by the writer," he said.
"For the true record, Zanu-PF has, since the advent of the new dispensation in November 2017,exercised collective leadership at all levels including the said two most senior politicians. Factionalism only exist in the minds of the party's detractors.
"The story is therefore as dead as a dodo. It is a tired story sounding like a broken record playing in the graveyard. The dissolution of the party's organs in Harare and Bulawayo provinces is simply meant to strengthen the party given their strategic importance as metropolitan provinces."
Ambassador Khaya Moyo said the restructuring of the party is a normal exercise carried out as and when necessary. He condemned what he called wayward conduct which has proliferated in the media industry, particularly the private media.
Last month President Mnangagwa denied the existence of a rift between himself and his deputy saying "not a single person" had provided evidence of divisions between him and VP Chiwenga.
"I have known Chiwenga and his colleagues (in the military) since the struggle years. We are comrades and understand each other better than you think," President Mnangagwa said.
The Standard report claimed that a feud between President Mnangagwa and VP Chiwenga is escalating following the disbanding of Harare and Bulawayo provincial party structures by President Mnangagwa.
In its article titled "ED Chiwenga feud escalates," the paper said the appointment of Oliver Chidawu as Harare Provincial Affairs Minister by President Mnangagwa is one of the moves in the factional feud.
The story claimed President Mnangagwa disbanded Zanu-PF structures in Harare and Bulawayo following growing concerns that VP Chiwenga's influence was creating two centres of power.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday rubbished the claims saying there was no rift between the two leaders and factionalism only exists in the minds of the party's detractors.
"For the true record, Zanu-PF has, since the advent of the new dispensation in November 2017,exercised collective leadership at all levels including the said two most senior politicians. Factionalism only exist in the minds of the party's detractors.
"The story is therefore as dead as a dodo. It is a tired story sounding like a broken record playing in the graveyard. The dissolution of the party's organs in Harare and Bulawayo provinces is simply meant to strengthen the party given their strategic importance as metropolitan provinces."
Ambassador Khaya Moyo said the restructuring of the party is a normal exercise carried out as and when necessary. He condemned what he called wayward conduct which has proliferated in the media industry, particularly the private media.
Last month President Mnangagwa denied the existence of a rift between himself and his deputy saying "not a single person" had provided evidence of divisions between him and VP Chiwenga.
"I have known Chiwenga and his colleagues (in the military) since the struggle years. We are comrades and understand each other better than you think," President Mnangagwa said.
Source - chronicle
