Chipanga warns Zanu-PF

ZANU-PF youth secretary, Kudzai Chipanga has warned the party of an embarrassing electoral defeat if it goes to the 2018 general elections embroiled in dirty factional fights.

Addressing party supporters at a provincial inter-district conference meeting in Mutare at the weekend, Chipanga urged feuding members to make peace now or face a painful electoral defeat.

"If I am going this side and you will be pushing to the other side, we will all perish. Let's be united because the political season we are going to is dangerous, even if you were not in good books with Joseph Chinotimba (Buhera South MP) join hands," he pleaded.

"After Christmas, we should all say President Robert Mugabe for 2018, yes, we had time for divisions, but this should come to an end, but you will see someone busy crafting a vote-of-no-confidence for someone, please, we should be united for one cause."

Zanu-PF is caught up in factional fights between the Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa aligned Team Lacoste faction and G40 in the race to succeed Mugabe.

Chipanga's calls come after similar pleas by Defence minister Sydney Sekeremayi to warring Zanu-PF factions, while addressing war veterans in Mutare two weeks ago to either unite or perish.

The Zanu-PF youth leader said factionalism was being fuelled by leaders holding top positions in the party.

"We have no problems in districts but our problems start here at the high table, down there you don't know where these divisions are coming from, so we are urging everyone to end this and win the elections in 2018" he said.

At the same meeting, the Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial structures unanimously passed a resolution that suspended Chipinge South MP, Enock Porusingazi be reinstated into the party because he has been working tirelessly.

Porusingazi was suspended from the party in 2014 for allegedly backing former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who was accused of plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe.

Chinotimba proposed that the Chipinge South MP be reinstated because he showed remorse.

His proposal was immediately supported by party structures, claiming Porusingazi has shown remorse and has continued to work for the party, without a position and deserved reinstatement.

"We thank Porungazi for what he is doing for the party; we thank him again and again and again. We no longer need this suspension," Chinotimba said.

Porusingazi played a key role in assisting six families, who lost their relatives in a road accident when they were coming from a youth meeting in Chipinge in September, where 380 hectares of land for youths was unveiled.