Mohadi slur as chaos hits ZanuPF restructuring exercise

Confusion continues to be the order of the day in the Zanu-PF Bulawayo restructuring exercise after the party nullified all results of elections conducted last week, including those of the provincial executive council that had initially been allowed to stand.

The party ordered the dissolution of all structures in Bulawayo and Harare where Zanu-PF has been losing elections heavily to the MDC since the year 2000.

Vice president kembo Mohadi was assigned to oversee the programme in Bulawayo while the other vice president, Constantino Chiwenga was put in charge in Harare.

Disgruntled party members told Bulawayo24.com that they viewed the nullification as a slap in Mohadi's face.
In a letter to the province today Monday, the party's secretary for administration Dr Obert Mpofu said all the elections had been voided by the politburo.

He said provincial executive council elections would only take place after the Politburo and president Mnangagwa, who is the party's first secretary, give the go ahead.

"This circular serves to advise the restructuring teams in both Bulawayo and Harare Metropolitan provinces to restrict their restructuring exercise from cell up to district level only. The teams should work independently without due influence from the local leadership. The teams should prepare comprehensive reports on the process from the beginning up to district restructuring which will be presented to the Politburo. The report should contain all the facts, figures and details about the process. Dates for the elections will be set thereafter," said Mpofu.

Last week Zanu-PF director in the commissariat George Nare--in a move viewed as putting Mohadi who had okayed the elections in a bad light- said only the election

Rejoice Ndlovu to chairperson of the Women's League, Cephas Ncube and Garikayi Zonde elected as chairpersons of the Main Wing and Youth League respectively were valid while the rest of the results were canceled.

The rest of the winning candidates, mainly youths were served with letters barring them from contesting in fresh elections that were scheduled for the weekend but were canceled at the last minute without explanation.
Nare said it was realised that the calibre of party members that were being nominated into leadership positions was below the party's expectations and standards, although their candidature had been passed by a team supervised by Mohadi.

He said people with criminal records were now finding their way into the provincial leadership yet the party requires disciplined people with sound education and experience.

Party members in Bulawayo alleged the Politburo was effectively saying Mohadi was incompetent in annuling the elections.

"We know the election results were canceled because the old guard were frightened by the number of youths that were winning. They had their preferred older candidates who have held various posts in effectually, some since independence. But the biggest message that is coming out here is that VP Mohadi failed. He allowed criminals and the uneducated to run in the election," said a winning candidate who has been barred from contesting in future elections.

Party members said the Politburo seemed bent on repeating the mistake that has made ZanuPF a perennial punching bag for the opposition for almost two decades, in Bulawayo.

"They want to impose their own people, something that has disenfranchised members in the past. Because their people lost, they want to hold the election in an uneven playing field that will ensure they win. The result will be the same as what we've been getting since 2000, we'll be canon fodder for the MDC.