Mugabe turns back on loyalists

In a move widely seen as blasting his loyalists who have been controlling Zanu PF structures to aid their turf wars in factional fights, President Robert Mugabe has attacked politburo members who want to impose themselves as godfathers in provinces.

Some of the provincial godfathers who have had a strangle hold on party structures include Mugabe loyalists Obert Mpofu (Matabeleland North) Sikhanyiso Ndlovu (Bulawayo) Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu  (Matabeleand South) and Emmerson Mnangagwa (Midlands) and Dzikamai Mavhaire (Masvingo).

However, in a televised interview on state broadcaster ZBC, Mugabe said the godfathers promote regionalism and tribalism by imposing themselves ahead of the party's provincial chairpersons.

"That is what we are fighting against and I am going to fight against this one quite blatantly because that is what is destroying the party," Mugabe said.

"The party is greater than any individual and it is wrong — completely wrong tactics and wrong system that recognises those of us who are in the executive of the party, the Politburo, Central Committee, to still have the right to be leaders of provinces.

"All that is nonsensical and rubbish! That is what is destroying the party. That is regionalism now that you are creating. You are a national leader, remain a national leader. We have provincial chairmen."

Mugabe said the presence of "provincial gurus" was not provided for in the Zanu PF constitution.

The chairpersons of the provinces must be the bosses of the provinces and not national leaders in the Politburo and those must cease to be leaders of provinces immediately. Anyone who purports to be a leader of a province then must forfeit his leadership of the party," Mugabe said.

"That is a serious matter now. You have members of the Politburo wanting to detect and determine the direction of political events in the provinces where you have already a provincial leadership that must do so and all we have said in the party is that members of the executive of the party in the Politburo, those in the Central Committee, those in Parliament can meet together with the provincial leadership in what we call a coordinating committee.

"The chairperson of that meeting is the provincial chairperson. He will preside over it and must not be dictated to, but you have gurus of the provinces, you see, who want to wield a dip stick. No. That is wrong."