Marian Chombo threatens to contest as an independent

LOCAL government minister Ignatius Chombo's ex-wife Marian has raised a red flag over irregularities in the conduct of Zanu-PF primaries and said she will contest as an independent candidate if she is shut out from taking part in the internal polls.

Marian, who is challenging her former husband in the race to represent Zanu-PF in Zvimba North House of Assembly election alleged in an interview that there were machinations by her ex-husband to frustrate her political ambitions, adding that the primaries were marred by vote-buying and rigging.

Marian and Chombo divorced by consent in September last year after nearly four years of haggling over the distribution of family assets.

The fight has shifted from their matrimonial home to the political ring.

Twice, Marian has been excluded from the list of candidates for the party's primaries amid claims Chombo, a Zanu-PF politburo member and MP, was being "shielded" from standing against his ex-wife.

Although she had reportedly been cleared to stand in the primaries on Tuesday after her application to stand had initially been dismissed, her name "mysteriously disappeared" from the ballot papers on Tuesday.

Yesterday she said: "I have made an appeal (against exclusion from primaries) but I don't think it will be heard because of the time constraints. They say I don't qualify, but people at grassrsoot have asked me to stand as an independent if my appeal is not successful."

The fight between the Chombos has been dubbed a "domestic one" with some supporters of the minister claiming this is a case of sour grapes where Marian was out to settle personal scores.

But Marian, a computer specialist-cum-farmer said: "This is not a domestic fight. I am not going to ride on any sympathy vote. People in the constituency want someone they can relate to not an imposed candidate for the past 18 years. After we broke up, I continued with projects that I had been carrying out as the MP's wife and embarked on other projects. I have dug wells in the constituency, started a fund for the bereaved and projects for youths. I am going to win resoundingly no doubt."

The battle for Zvimba North has heated up with two huts belonging to one of Marian's polling agents, Max Chipindo at Katawa village being gutted by fire on Monday night in a suspected case of political violence.

Chipindo's wife and their three children – who were in one of the huts –escaped unhurt after the incident.

"In Zanu-PF meetings, my husband was being denounced for supporting Mother (Marian)," she said in an interview outside one of the destroyed huts on Tuesday.

"There were threats that were being issued against him. It was as if he was now a member of the opposition."

Contacted for comment Chombo said: "First, do your research on what Zanu-PF criteria was and for which candidates. We have a commissariat led by Webster Shamu and these are the people who know best why some candidates were disqualified not me. As for myself I am actually in Harare and cannot tell you off hand what is happening in my constituency."

It is reported that 54 supporters of the minister's ex-wife besieged Zanu-PF Headquarters yesterday to petition the Presidium over the vote manipulation, but were referred back to Chinhoyi.