Zanu-PF official refuses to surrender party vehicle

Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central provincial member Shephard Kararira has allegedly refused to surrender the party's Ford Ranger truck given to him by party chairperson Kazembe Kazembe following his illegal co-option as provincial political commissar (PCC).

Kazembe last month co-opted Kararira as provincial commissar to campaign for him in the forthcoming provincial elections and illegally gave him a party vehicle for the task.

But Zanu-PF acting political commissar Patrick Chinamasa nullified the co-options Kazembe had made to the Mashonaland Central provincial executive committee, effectively relieving Kararira and three other allies of the Home Affairs minister of their new roles.

Kararira was supposed to return the car following the nullification of his appointment.

But Kararira yesterday said he was using the car to mobilise support for the party's national conference to be held in the province, even though President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hinted on holding a virtual indaba due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

"I am using that car to mobilise support for the conference which our province is hosting and as we speak, the chairman (Kazembe) also gave us his party car and we now have four cars," he said.

"So for one to demand that car, it is nonsensical. We need to campaign with those cars and above all, we took two more cars from the party head office to drum up support for the conference."

He, however, declined to name other party members he referred to as "we".

Chinamasa dismissed the cooptions after Mashonaland Central War Veterans Association chairperson Sam Parirenyatwa protested against the move, accusing Kazembe of manipulating party structures in order retain his provincial position.

Parirenyatwa was supported by other party members who demanded that Kararira should return the party vehicle to one Tsine, who had been illegally demoted as provincial political commissar.

Kazembe is set to battle it out with former Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora, businessman James Makamba, among others for the provincial chairmanship.

Jostling for positions in Mashonaland Central has threatened to tear apart the party ahead of its national conference, whose dates are yet to be announced.