Midlands defies Kasukuwere

ZANU-PF Midlands Province has dismissed the suspension of provincial chairman Kizito Chivamba as null and void, arguing that his ouster was unconstitutional and not procedural.

The province said Chivamba remained the chairperson.

In an extraordinary provincial executive meeting held at the Zanu-PF Convention Centre in Gweru yesterday, the province resolved to stand by Chivamba and refused to recognise and comply with the directive made by national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere.

Addressing the provincial coordinating committee at the venue, vice chairman Daniel McKenzie Ncube, said the meeting unanimously agreed that Chivamba's suspension was not procedural and that Kasukuwere had no authority of suspending a member of the provincial executive who was duly elected by the province.

Ncube said the province still recognised Chivamba as its chairman and had since passed a vote of no confidence in provincial secretary for administration Engineer Tapiwanashe Matangaidze who had been appointed an interim chairperson, Makhosini Hlongwane and Lot Mpofu for allegedly misleading the First Family, fanning factionalism and denigrating as well as undermining party leadership.

"We called an extraordinary PEC meeting after we received a correspondence from national commissar to the effect that Chivamba has been suspended as provincial chairman, while Matangaidze has been appointed acting chairman.

"As a province we have declared that Chivamba's suspension was not procedural and not constitutional. It was unanimously agreed that the province continue to recognise him as the provincial chairman. This is after we established that Kasukuwere has no authority to suspend Chivamba.

"We have also passed a vote of no confidence on Matangaidze, Hlongwane and Mpofu," he said.

Zanu PF Midlands provincial spokesperson Cornelius Mpereri, alleged that the three were fanning factionalism in the province by peddling falsehoods of alleged victimisation, vilification, denigration and intimidation.

Mpereri alleged that Kasukuwere had written to President Mugabe seeking to dissolve the provincial executive based on falsehoods.

"The three misled the party leadership alleging that they were being denigrated and harassed in the province. Kasukuwere has since written to the President seeking to dissolve the provincial executive," he said.

Chivamba was suspended indefinitely and relieved of his duties as chairperson on accusations of bringing the name of the party into disrepute by peddling falsehoods through the media.

"You are accused of bringing the name of the party into disrepute by peddling falsehoods in the media and failing to protect party members who were harassed for attending a properly convened rally held at the party headquarters," reads part of the letter.

Matangaidze confirmed that he heard of the vote of no confidence passed on him.

However, he declined to comment further.

"The national disciplinary committee is seized with the matter, so please get an official comment from the national commissar," he said.

Kasukuwere said the votes of no confidence were a nullity and that the gathering was illegal.

"That is a nullity. We will not lose sleep over illegal gatherings. As much as we know Chivamba has been suspended and the acting chairman is Matan- gaidze.

"We are guided by the constitution of the party. There has been a team which has been set, led by (national secretary for security) Kembo Mohadi and will go and investigate the matter of alleged harassment of members of the women's league.

Anything which is inconsistent to that is a nullity," he said.