News / National
Zanu-PF headaches mount ahead of poll
15 Apr 2013 at 08:59hrs | Views
ZANU-PF's headaches ahead of elections are mounting amid revelations that Thursday's politburo meeting made a resolution to push for polls before June 29, but failed to discuss modalities for primary elections due to intensifying divisions in Manicaland and Matabeleland provinces, NewsDay has established.
The Manicaland crisis culminated in a crucial meeting presided over by the party's national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo and reportedly saw Home Affairs co-minister Kembo Mohadi storming out as emotions reached boiling point.
Tempers reportedly flared uncontrollably during the meeting as Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa demanded the dismissal of stocktheft charges against suspended provincial chairman Mike Madiro, saying the State case was weak.
Madiro and acting provincial chairperson Dorothy Mabika are accused of stealing 10 cattle meant for slaughter at President Robert Mugabe's birthday celebrations last year.
Chinamasa is said to be fighting in Madiro's corner and is an alleged sympathiser of Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa who reportedly leads a faction battling to outwit the other led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru in the fight to succeed Mugabe.
"He (Chamisa) had documentation which he used to dismiss the essential elements of the cases. He told us that the State's case was weak and that proceeding with the charges was just a waste of time," said a source that refused to be named.
"Chinamasa added that he was the longest-serving Attorney General in the country and said he had gone through all the witnesses statements one by one and there was no case against the two. He said the charges were just about persecution," said the source, adding that Mohadi could not take the statements lightly and stormed out.
Politburo sources admitted that time was not on Zanu-PF's side and the party leadership was at pains to contain infighting in the two provinces, where battles for power have escalated to frightening levels.
The Manicaland meeting came about after the provincial leadership signed a petition to Mugabe against the conduct of party secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa.
It is understood Mutasa aspires to succeed the late John Landa Nkomo, who died of cancer in January this year, as Vice-President.
This has reportedly miffed members from the former-PF Zapu component of the party, who argue the post should be preserved for them in line with the 1987 Unity Accord.
Those sympathetic to Mutasa allege he is being framed so that he does not land the Vice-Presidency.
Mutasa has already started fighting back claiming that he had fired the whole provincial executive and an interim executive would be announced soon. Sources told
NewsDay that as infighting rages on in Zanu-PF, Mutasa, who is believed be part of the Mujuru camp, would soon descend on Masvingo, Mashonaland West and Central
provinces. The leadership is accused of either being Mugabe loyalists or siding with the Mnangagwa camp.
On the Bulawayo divisions, a three-hour discussion on the matter resolved that veteran party official Callistus Ndlovu takes over the chairmanship and would be deputised by former chair Killian Sibanda.
The process of primary elections was also not on the agenda, with insiders saying concern on bringing sanity to the two provinces took precedence though it put the party in a Catch-22 situation.
"Primaries were not discussed. Manicaland and Matabeleland provinces are hot potatoes and divisions are deep-rooted. It was felt it would be best to deal with these issues first before touching on primaries. It is unfortunate though as candidates would need time to campaign if elections are to be held on June 29 or earlier as the party intends," said the source.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo told reporters soon after the politburo meeting on Thursday that a special politburo meeting on elections would be held soon.
Although Zanu-PF has been calling for elections since 2010, sources told NewsDay that some top Zanu-PF officials were against the idea of polls before June 29 and even beyond, with Mugabe as the leader of the party, fearing the party faces defeat if the ageing leader remains its public face.
Most of the bigwigs, the source said, also feared upcoming young politicians would end their political careers, the reason why the party old guard is reluctant to have primary elections. The internal selection process is also set to widen the rifts in Zanu-PF along factional lines. Gumbo's mobile phone was not reachable for comment yesterday while Mutasa said he was resting and would only answer to questions today.
The source said while Zanu-PF accuses the MDCs of not wanting elections, the party was the least prepared with the warring factions already preparing for a beyond Mugabe era.
The Manicaland crisis culminated in a crucial meeting presided over by the party's national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo and reportedly saw Home Affairs co-minister Kembo Mohadi storming out as emotions reached boiling point.
Tempers reportedly flared uncontrollably during the meeting as Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa demanded the dismissal of stocktheft charges against suspended provincial chairman Mike Madiro, saying the State case was weak.
Madiro and acting provincial chairperson Dorothy Mabika are accused of stealing 10 cattle meant for slaughter at President Robert Mugabe's birthday celebrations last year.
Chinamasa is said to be fighting in Madiro's corner and is an alleged sympathiser of Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa who reportedly leads a faction battling to outwit the other led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru in the fight to succeed Mugabe.
"He (Chamisa) had documentation which he used to dismiss the essential elements of the cases. He told us that the State's case was weak and that proceeding with the charges was just a waste of time," said a source that refused to be named.
"Chinamasa added that he was the longest-serving Attorney General in the country and said he had gone through all the witnesses statements one by one and there was no case against the two. He said the charges were just about persecution," said the source, adding that Mohadi could not take the statements lightly and stormed out.
Politburo sources admitted that time was not on Zanu-PF's side and the party leadership was at pains to contain infighting in the two provinces, where battles for power have escalated to frightening levels.
The Manicaland meeting came about after the provincial leadership signed a petition to Mugabe against the conduct of party secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa.
It is understood Mutasa aspires to succeed the late John Landa Nkomo, who died of cancer in January this year, as Vice-President.
Those sympathetic to Mutasa allege he is being framed so that he does not land the Vice-Presidency.
Mutasa has already started fighting back claiming that he had fired the whole provincial executive and an interim executive would be announced soon. Sources told
NewsDay that as infighting rages on in Zanu-PF, Mutasa, who is believed be part of the Mujuru camp, would soon descend on Masvingo, Mashonaland West and Central
provinces. The leadership is accused of either being Mugabe loyalists or siding with the Mnangagwa camp.
On the Bulawayo divisions, a three-hour discussion on the matter resolved that veteran party official Callistus Ndlovu takes over the chairmanship and would be deputised by former chair Killian Sibanda.
The process of primary elections was also not on the agenda, with insiders saying concern on bringing sanity to the two provinces took precedence though it put the party in a Catch-22 situation.
"Primaries were not discussed. Manicaland and Matabeleland provinces are hot potatoes and divisions are deep-rooted. It was felt it would be best to deal with these issues first before touching on primaries. It is unfortunate though as candidates would need time to campaign if elections are to be held on June 29 or earlier as the party intends," said the source.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo told reporters soon after the politburo meeting on Thursday that a special politburo meeting on elections would be held soon.
Although Zanu-PF has been calling for elections since 2010, sources told NewsDay that some top Zanu-PF officials were against the idea of polls before June 29 and even beyond, with Mugabe as the leader of the party, fearing the party faces defeat if the ageing leader remains its public face.
Most of the bigwigs, the source said, also feared upcoming young politicians would end their political careers, the reason why the party old guard is reluctant to have primary elections. The internal selection process is also set to widen the rifts in Zanu-PF along factional lines. Gumbo's mobile phone was not reachable for comment yesterday while Mutasa said he was resting and would only answer to questions today.
The source said while Zanu-PF accuses the MDCs of not wanting elections, the party was the least prepared with the warring factions already preparing for a beyond Mugabe era.
Source - newsday
