Violence erupts as Zanu PF bigwigs fall

VIOLENCE erupted in Harare yesterday forcing the postponement of Zanu PF central committee elections in politburo member and Mbare MP Tendai Savanhu's zone as more bigwigs linked to Vice-President Joice Mujuru continued to crumble.

Indigenisation minister Francis Nhema and his Foreign Affairs counterpart Simbarashe Mumbengegwi fell by the wayside in Midlands province.

In Masvingo, reports indicated Energy minister Dzikamai Mavhaire and his Tourism counterpart Walter Mzembi were also booted out in the central committee elections.

The chefs that failed to get nominations into the central committee are linked to Mujuru, who is under fire within Zanu PF as she stands accused of plotting the ouster of President Robert Mugabe.

Politburo member Cleveria Chizema said the election in Zone 6 in Harare where Savanhu was contesting could not go ahead because of violence.

She said violence also broke out in Zone 5 where suspended members of the party wanted to force themselves back in.

"Zone 6 where Savanhu was contesting could not proceed because there was violence. I will be going there tomorrow (today) to make sure elections go ahead before I go for the politburo meeting," she said.

Harare saw former central committee member Noah Mangondo failing to make it into the central committee while suspended ZBC staffer Allan Chiweshe failed to make it in Zone 4.

While there was drama in Harare, in Midlands, Zanu PF bigwigs including Nhema failed to make it into the central committee.
Nhema, who is also the MP for Shurugwi, lost the right to represent the town in the central committee after a massive defeat at the hands of businessman Emmanuel Fundira who bagged 105 votes against his 61.

Mumbengegwi lost to Timothy Gandire who polled 81 votes against the Foreign Affairs minister's 50.

In Gokwe North, Flora Bhuka lost to Gokwe-Kabuyunu MP Leonard Chikomba after polling 74 votes against the MP's 169.

Outgoing youth league chairman Edson Chiherenge Chakanyuka was nominated unopposed together with Cephas Cindi and Larry Mavhima of Zvishavane, who won the ticket unopposed.

Midlands provincial spokesperson Cornelius Mpereri confirmed the results.

The only hope left for the Zanu PF bigwigs is Mugabe's grace as he is entitled to appoint into the central committee those who may have lost in the polls, but that will also be a tough call given the long–running internal campaign to dress down Mujuru and members of her faction.

Tension also characterised the Zanu PF Manicaland provincial co-ordinating committee meeting held in Mutare yesterday as a purge on all leaders allegedly aligned to VP Mujuru continued as members present sought to reverse their ascendancy to the central committee.

Fred Kanzama and John Chirimambowa risk losing their seats in the central committee after a resolution to drop them was made in the drama-filled meeting characterised by singing and dancing.

A motion to drop Ellen Gwaradzimba, who was elected in Mutare, was also moved and supported.

The party's provincial administrator Nelia Maenda was immediately suspended for allegedly blocking the CVs of aspirants who were not linked to her alleged faction while co-ordinators from various districts face the chop.

Some provincial members including Tendai Saruchera could be dropped from the executive.

Aspirants for the central committee Mutasa South legislator Irene Zindi and Retired Army General Mike Nyambuya could also be blocked from contesting because they attended the meeting last month at Matumba Six where ex-war veterans' leader Jabulani Sibanda said he was organising a march to seek audience with Mugabe.

Youth leader Kelvin Manyengavana instigated the purge when Chirimambowa was introduced.

After Kanzama was introduced, deputy youth chairperson Mubuso Chinguno demanded that all central committee members-elect linked to Mujuru should leave the venue and they left.

Kanzama is set to be replaced by Moton Malianga while Chirimambowa will be replaced by former Chipinge Central MP Alice Chitima.

The introduction of former chairman Mike Madiro elicited dances from the crowd just like when it was announced that Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa and under-fire Energy deputy minister Munacho Mutezo had lost.

In Mutasa district, party supporters refused to vote where Zindi, Nyambuya, Victoria Chitepo and others were supposed to be voted into the central committee, arguing that the favourite Luke Masamvu was illegally disqualified by Maenda.

Zanu PF secretary for legal affairs Emmerson Mnangagwa told supporters in Kwekwe that the central committee structure had been altered to accommodate 300 members instead of 245.

"We agreed on a new structure of the central committee, after I proposed that we should have 300 people in the central committee instead of 245 and that proposal was adopted," said Mnangagwa.

He said Mugabe would nominate 10 members, one from each province, while 94 seats would be filled through proportional representation based on performance in the elections.