Zanu-PF Politburo to tackle social media abuse

The next Zanu-PF Politburo meeting - which may take place this week - is likely to discuss cases of party members who abuse social media to attack other members, party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo has said.

In an interview yesterday, Khaya Moyo said members should use party structures for communication. This comes in the wake of concerns by the party's affiliate organisations such as the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) that some party members were abusing social media.

ZNLWVA contends that some party members were using social media to fan factionalism. The party's First Secretary, President Mugabe, is on record having warned party members to desist from abusing social media and leaking information to the private media to the detriment of the party.

Said Khaya Moyo: "The President says we must avoid social media. We are a party with structures and where we have situations of transgressions they should be brought to the party through relevant structures.

"If somebody raises those issues (at the Politburo meeting), I think the party will come up with a position. I am not sure yet if there is a Politburo meeting this week, but it is possible that there can be one." At its next meeting, the Politburo is also likely to have a review of the party's National People's Conference held in Victoria Falls in December last year.

Another issue likely to be on the agenda is the state of the economy and bonuses for civil servants.

The party may also receive a report from the secretary for external affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi on the recent African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where President Mugabe handed over the continental body's chairmanship to Chadian President Déby Itno.

Last week, Khaya Moyo told our sister paper The Sunday Mail that the Politburo would soon come up with, among other determinations, a position following reports of successionist politics in the party.

This comes in the wake of incessant private media reports on issues of succession in Zanu-PF. The articles have largely pitted a group allegedly backing Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the Presidency and another one which claims to be rooting for First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe.

Amai Mugabe has repeatedly dismissed such reports, pointing out that she harbours no presidential ambitions as her plate was full with her charity work and role as Zanu-PF Women's League Secretary.

She has also spoken of her cordial relations with VP Mnangagwa. Authorities believe such false reports on succession are the handiwork of "successionists" who constantly work with the private media to further their agenda.