Ziyambi tears into Mliswa-Chikoka

Zanu-PF Mashonaland West is living to its billing as a political hotbed with internecine battles for control of provincial structures continuing unabated among party bigwigs.

During Sunday's Zanu-PF provincial coordinating committee (PCC) meeting held in Chinhoyi, Justice minister and Zanu-PF politburo member, Ziyambi Ziyambi took aim at Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, for employing dirty tactics to land the party provincial chairman post.

Without mentioning names, Ziyambi who was evidently agitated, accused Mliswa-Chikoka of abusing her privileged position and leaking party secrets to her brother, independent Norton legislator Temba Mliswa who denigrates party members on social media.

"Some members take internal issues to their relatives, and these people comment as if they are members of Zanu-PF. When you are analysing me as member of the politburo, what l say is a collective position. When you are analysing me as a member of cabinet and you criticise my action in parliament, you are criticising cabinet and its head who is the president," Ziyambi said.

Ziyambi said remnants of the vanquished Generation 40, commonly referred to as G40, was strategically positioning itself to depose the incumbent leadership, including Mnangagwa.

"l have been following events and l hear money is exchanging hands. We have received a report, the majority of G40 people decided to stay in Zanu-PF and fund provincial members so that those who were dormant take positions then challenge the president," he said.

"We want genuine cadres of Zanu-PF to be on the look out for these fake people and expose them and say this is their plan and come up with proper structures."

Delegates at the meeting took turns to accuse Mliswa-Chikoka of being "big-headed" and disrespecting senior party members who are routinely embarrassed at President Mnangagwa's events where they are sometimes barred from attending for not having official invitations which are coordinated by her office.

At last Friday's graduation ceremony at Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) senior party leaders were harassed and embarrassed by state security agents who demanded invitation cards they were allegedly denied by Mliswa-Chikoka.

Ziyambi threatened to clip the provincial minister's wings and warned her to stop the contemptuous behaviour but ensure protection than persecution of Zanu-PF members.

Through Article 12 of the party's constitution, the PCC turned into an elections directorate and resolved to postpone internal polls until finalisation of the ongoing restructuring of districts.

"It is better to complete the process of restructuring late and ensure we build a firm foundation using solid structures. We can always ask (Patrick) Chinamasa (Acting national political commissar) to allow us more time to build our structures which will see us emerging victorious in the 2023 elections," Ziyambi added.

Recently, Youth League provincial chairman, Vengi Musengi also alleged Mliswa-Chikoka was abusing her office by inviting her brother to attend Zanu-PF events despite the loquacious MP's blatant verbal attacks on Zanu-PF members.

Musengi barred the Norton MP from attending Mnangagwa's events.

Musengi, Mliswa-Chikoka, acting Zanu-PF provincial chairman Abie Mujeri, and Information deputy minister Kidness Paradza are rowing over the provincial chairmanship post in the upcoming internal elections.