News / National
Zanu-PF house is on fire
28 Aug 2014 at 09:04hrs | Views
SPARKS are flying in the faction-riddled Zanu-PF party with rival camps resorting to violence and smear campaigns as the war to fill important party organs ahead of the elective congress in December climaxes.
According to the Financial Gazette, the ruling party's house is on fire as volcanic tempers erupt among members aligned to two major factions that are trading insults and blows at the slightest opportunity.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and Vice President, Joice Mujuru, are reportedly leading two opposing camps battling to succeed President Robert Mugabe when he eventually exits the political stage. The two have, however, denied leading any factions. With the youths and women's leagues leadership already decided, the battle has now shifted to the party's second most powerful organ - the Central Committee - elections for which are due next month.
The Central Committee is the supreme policy-making organ of the party with the power to amend the Constitution, and is also the supreme and ultimate authority for the implementation and supervision of the policies, directives, rules and regulations of the party. Immediately under it is the Politburo which is the most influential organ outside congress.
Factional battles exploded at the recent youths and women's league conferences and the situation has since then turned nasty as violence and verbal slurs have become the order of the day. Sources within the revolutionary party said seven of the 10 provincial youth chairpersons who recently approached President Mugabe seeking to have the Youth League election results annulled are being targeted for purging.
In Harare, youth chairperson, Godfrey Gomwe, is under fire for allegedly undermining his superiors after a fallout with Amos Midzi, the provincial chairman of the main wing and Politburo member Tendai Savanhu. Sources in Harare province said a hit list has been compiled featuring Gomwe and his deputy, Edison Takataka with a view to remove them from party structures before next month.
Takakata was last week reportedly assaulted by youths alleged to be from the Mujuru camp who were suspected to have been set on him by Savanhu. The duo's fallout with Midzi came after they accused him of imposing Varaidzo Mupunga as the candidate for the national secretary for administration in the Youth League as well as attempting to forestall the ascendancy of President Mugabe's wife, Grace, to the helm of the Women's League.
Zanu-PF sources said the fallout reached fever-pitch when Gomwe refused to endorse Kudzanai Chipanga for the position of deputy secretary for youth affairs and Mupunga at the youth conference. Word against the duo spread at the conference venue, drawing the ire of youths aligned to Midzi and Savanhu, who are believed to be in the Mujuru camp. A source close to Gomwe said Midzi and Savanhu promised to deal with the firebrand youthful politician for defying them once the conference had ended.
Since then, the source said, Gomwe and Takataka have not had peace in the province as they have become target for incessant attacks. The source said Gomwe has since beefed up his security by roping in bouncers who travel with him. Takataka was allegedly bashed by Zanu-PF youths at a meeting in Mbare after he challenged Savanhu saying he was not in support of the First Lady's candidature.
A day later, Zanu-PF Highfield district chairperson, one Peter Mushonga was allegedly assaulted at a party meeting in the suburb by bouncers he alleged were set on him by Gomwe. Both cases have been reported to police. The Financial Gazette is reliably informed that the Mujuru faction in Harare wants Gomwe out of office and has since passed a vote of no confidence in him.
Gomwe is being accused of belonging to a new group of militant party youths called Generation 40 which was moving in different parts of the country ahead of the youth conference. "They started in Harare and Mashonaland Central where their militant behaviour has earned then the nickname boko haram but you are going to see an upsurge of violence in the party in the next few weeks in all provinces," a source said. Those against Gomwe have also submitted a petition to have him expelled from the party on the grounds that he was disrespecting leadership.
A source said the petition was signed by 110 out of the 159 districts of the party in the capital. "We have submitted a petition to have Gomwe recalled and it bears all the important signatures. He is going," said the source. Gomwe, however, scoffed at the moves saying it was a futile attempt. "I can confirm that I have heard about the so-called petition and I am not bothered by those sponsored elements who are being paid money to destroy me. Their moves are of no effect as they are unconstitutional.
"The only way I can be expelled according to the constitution of our party is when it is done formally at a public meeting by the provincial executive, not by these misinformed elements moving door to door in the dead of the night to solicit for signatures to dethrone me," Gomwe said. He denied reports that he was moving around with violent bouncers saying they were just his 'muscular friends who are known members of the ruling party.'
He said the smear campaign against him was being orchestrated by one Brian Hwenjere who is the deputy secretary for information and publicity in the Youth League. "I walk with my friends in the party who happen to be strong men physically and I haven't seen a clause in the party's constitution which states that members should not be strong. They are not thugs, they are legitimate party members," he said.
Gomwe also distanced himself from the so-called generation 40 saying 'I do not know anything about the outfit.' He also denied reports that he wanted to deliberately destroy Midzi. "I have no desire to destroy Midzi. He is destroying himself by not supporting the First Lady. Midzi banned youths from his Epworth constituency from attending the event in Mazowe where the other youths endorsed the First Lady and look how he had to rush to stage manage the endorsement on Monday," Gomwe said.
Mashonaland West provincial youth chairperson, Vengai Musengi, who is one of the seven chairpersons seeking nullification of the election results, has also been suspended. He was suspended on Tuesday and is set to appear before the party's disciplinary committee early next month. Sources said disciplinary action would be taken against the remaining four as Mashonaland Central chairperson, Godfrey Tsaneguru is also on suspension.
Factional violence has escalated in other parts of the country. Kwekwe Central Member of Parliament, Masango Matambanadzo is facing two counts of assault at the Kwekwe magistrates' court after he allegedly attacked a fellow lawmaker in a brawl before allegedly savagely beating a fellow party member for his allegiance to the Mnangagwa camp.
According to the Financial Gazette, the ruling party's house is on fire as volcanic tempers erupt among members aligned to two major factions that are trading insults and blows at the slightest opportunity.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and Vice President, Joice Mujuru, are reportedly leading two opposing camps battling to succeed President Robert Mugabe when he eventually exits the political stage. The two have, however, denied leading any factions. With the youths and women's leagues leadership already decided, the battle has now shifted to the party's second most powerful organ - the Central Committee - elections for which are due next month.
The Central Committee is the supreme policy-making organ of the party with the power to amend the Constitution, and is also the supreme and ultimate authority for the implementation and supervision of the policies, directives, rules and regulations of the party. Immediately under it is the Politburo which is the most influential organ outside congress.
Factional battles exploded at the recent youths and women's league conferences and the situation has since then turned nasty as violence and verbal slurs have become the order of the day. Sources within the revolutionary party said seven of the 10 provincial youth chairpersons who recently approached President Mugabe seeking to have the Youth League election results annulled are being targeted for purging.
In Harare, youth chairperson, Godfrey Gomwe, is under fire for allegedly undermining his superiors after a fallout with Amos Midzi, the provincial chairman of the main wing and Politburo member Tendai Savanhu. Sources in Harare province said a hit list has been compiled featuring Gomwe and his deputy, Edison Takataka with a view to remove them from party structures before next month.
Takakata was last week reportedly assaulted by youths alleged to be from the Mujuru camp who were suspected to have been set on him by Savanhu. The duo's fallout with Midzi came after they accused him of imposing Varaidzo Mupunga as the candidate for the national secretary for administration in the Youth League as well as attempting to forestall the ascendancy of President Mugabe's wife, Grace, to the helm of the Women's League.
Zanu-PF sources said the fallout reached fever-pitch when Gomwe refused to endorse Kudzanai Chipanga for the position of deputy secretary for youth affairs and Mupunga at the youth conference. Word against the duo spread at the conference venue, drawing the ire of youths aligned to Midzi and Savanhu, who are believed to be in the Mujuru camp. A source close to Gomwe said Midzi and Savanhu promised to deal with the firebrand youthful politician for defying them once the conference had ended.
Since then, the source said, Gomwe and Takataka have not had peace in the province as they have become target for incessant attacks. The source said Gomwe has since beefed up his security by roping in bouncers who travel with him. Takataka was allegedly bashed by Zanu-PF youths at a meeting in Mbare after he challenged Savanhu saying he was not in support of the First Lady's candidature.
A day later, Zanu-PF Highfield district chairperson, one Peter Mushonga was allegedly assaulted at a party meeting in the suburb by bouncers he alleged were set on him by Gomwe. Both cases have been reported to police. The Financial Gazette is reliably informed that the Mujuru faction in Harare wants Gomwe out of office and has since passed a vote of no confidence in him.
Gomwe is being accused of belonging to a new group of militant party youths called Generation 40 which was moving in different parts of the country ahead of the youth conference. "They started in Harare and Mashonaland Central where their militant behaviour has earned then the nickname boko haram but you are going to see an upsurge of violence in the party in the next few weeks in all provinces," a source said. Those against Gomwe have also submitted a petition to have him expelled from the party on the grounds that he was disrespecting leadership.
A source said the petition was signed by 110 out of the 159 districts of the party in the capital. "We have submitted a petition to have Gomwe recalled and it bears all the important signatures. He is going," said the source. Gomwe, however, scoffed at the moves saying it was a futile attempt. "I can confirm that I have heard about the so-called petition and I am not bothered by those sponsored elements who are being paid money to destroy me. Their moves are of no effect as they are unconstitutional.
"The only way I can be expelled according to the constitution of our party is when it is done formally at a public meeting by the provincial executive, not by these misinformed elements moving door to door in the dead of the night to solicit for signatures to dethrone me," Gomwe said. He denied reports that he was moving around with violent bouncers saying they were just his 'muscular friends who are known members of the ruling party.'
He said the smear campaign against him was being orchestrated by one Brian Hwenjere who is the deputy secretary for information and publicity in the Youth League. "I walk with my friends in the party who happen to be strong men physically and I haven't seen a clause in the party's constitution which states that members should not be strong. They are not thugs, they are legitimate party members," he said.
Gomwe also distanced himself from the so-called generation 40 saying 'I do not know anything about the outfit.' He also denied reports that he wanted to deliberately destroy Midzi. "I have no desire to destroy Midzi. He is destroying himself by not supporting the First Lady. Midzi banned youths from his Epworth constituency from attending the event in Mazowe where the other youths endorsed the First Lady and look how he had to rush to stage manage the endorsement on Monday," Gomwe said.
Mashonaland West provincial youth chairperson, Vengai Musengi, who is one of the seven chairpersons seeking nullification of the election results, has also been suspended. He was suspended on Tuesday and is set to appear before the party's disciplinary committee early next month. Sources said disciplinary action would be taken against the remaining four as Mashonaland Central chairperson, Godfrey Tsaneguru is also on suspension.
Factional violence has escalated in other parts of the country. Kwekwe Central Member of Parliament, Masango Matambanadzo is facing two counts of assault at the Kwekwe magistrates' court after he allegedly attacked a fellow lawmaker in a brawl before allegedly savagely beating a fellow party member for his allegiance to the Mnangagwa camp.
Source - fingaz
