Plot to expel Supa Mandiwanzira & Chinamasa from Zanu-PF fails

A PLOT to pass a vote-of-no confidence on minister of Information, Communication and Technology Supa Mandiwanzira and Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa during the Manicaland inter-youth district conference last Sunday, allegedly instigated by controversial local businessman Agrippa Masiyakurima, hit a brickwall after youths apparently paid to move the motion developed cold feet.

Sources in the Zanu-PF Youth League said Masiyakurima met with a group of youths to plot against the two ministers.

They resolved to pass votes-of-no-confidence in them at the conference at Mary Mount Teachers' College.

However, youths aligned to the G40 faction said the meeting was not the right forum to pass the votes-of-no-confidence, as these should be done by the rightful organ of the party. Mandiwanzira is a Mugabe appointee to the central committee, so is Chinamasa to the politburo.

The Zanu-PF inter-youth district conference was part of the preparatory work for the one million youth march to be held in May.

It was attended by youths from the eight political districts in Manicaland, politburo and central committee members, representatives of the national Youth League and Women's League as well as senior provincial members.

Masiyakurima, whose company Bopela Group of Companies is embroiled in the NetOne corruption scandal, has for the past weeks been using his Facebook account to attack Mandiwanzira accusing him of pushing Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's presidential agenda.

The businessman, believed to be a financier of the G40 faction, also accuses Mandiwanzira of sabotaging his businesses and being behind the suspension of his ally Netone CEO Reward Kangai.

Sources said that Masiyakurima attended the meeting, although he is not in the Zanu-PF Manicaland structures.

"He even chanted 'Pasi na Supacoste' (Down with Supa) insinuating Mandiwanzira is part of the Mnangagwa faction," said an official from Manicaland.

Officials from Manicaland however said the youths, who were meant to speak out against Mandiwanzira and Chinamasa, developed cold feet after realising that the ministers enjoyed the support of the majority at the gathering.

Zanu-PF provincial youth secretary for administration, Victor Saunyama, said youths were aware of elements who wanted to divide the party by peddling falsehoods targeted at the two ministers.

He said Manicaland youths were solidly behind Mugabe and his family as well as Mandiwanzira.

"If we say we are solidly behind the President and by saying that we mean him and his family," Saunyama said.

"We are against those who attack the First Lady. We say behind every successful man, there is a woman and the President is successful because of the First Lady."

He said Mandiwanzira should not lose sleep as the youths were behind him. Mandiwanzira did not attend the Mutare youth conference. However, he told Zanu-PF youths in Nyanga that his loyalty was with Mugabe as his principal.

"I want you to know that l will remain with President Mugabe forever. You won't remove me from him," Mandiwanzira said.

Zanu-PF youths last Tuesday passed a vote-of-no-confidence against politburo member Oppah Muchinguri accusing her of fuelling divisions in the party.

The no confidence vote will be discussed at the next Zanu-PF provincial coordinating committee.

Efforts to get a comment from Masiyakurima were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered yesterday.