Fresh turmoil rocks Zanu-PF

Zanu-PF is undergoing a fresh turmoil threatening intra-party stability as jostling for provincial leadership reaches fever-pitch.

The chaos has rocked all the provinces as warring factions in the former liberation movement are battling to secure influential positions in the provinces to ensure control of key party structures.

The infighting has been reported in Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Manicaland and Bulawayo, among other provinces.

Sources close to the developments told Zimbabwe Independent on Wednesday that aspiring candidates for the Mashonaland West chairperson position were battling to control lower structures, which constitute the Electoral College to choose provincial committee members.

Top Zanu-PF provincial members eyeing the chairperson post are reportedly financing the "rigging" of structures, where names of non-members and expelled cadres have appeared on provisional lists recently submitted to the commissariat department for vetting.

Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, Information deputy minister Kindness Paradza, acting Zanu-PF provincial chairperson Abiel Mujeri and provincial youth league chairperson Vengi Musengi are vying for the provincial chairperson position to replace Ziyambi Ziyambi, who was elevated to the politburo in June this year.

Mujeri confirmed that all was not well.

"The reasons why the decision was made to restructure branches are just many. The basket system had not been observed in some instances," he said.

"There were some people who contested as independent candidates in previous elections and still have pending matters while some had defected to other political parties. Those tasked with restructuring were not aware that such cadres were not eligible for any posts until their disciplinary cases were finalised.

"There were some areas where names of provincial and district committee members were sneaked onto lists when these people were ineligible. For instance, if one is in the provincial structure or district, they cannot go back and be part of lower rungs of the party.

"So all these were being fixed and we expect districts to start submitting the revised lists to the provincial office on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so that on Sunday we convene the provincial coordinating committee (PCC) meeting to instruct members to go and hold elections to choose districts," Mujeri added.

A meeting held in Chinhoyi a fortnight ago, in accordance with Article 12 of the Zanu-PF constitution, turned the PCC into an elections directorate which resolved to postpone internal polls until finalisation of the ongoing restructuring of districts that were fraught with "ghost members".

During the heated meeting, Ziyambi took aim at alleged G40 members, who he accused of strategically positioning themselves for influential posts in districts.

"l gather 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 (Emmerson Mnangagwa)," he said.

Ziyambi added that: "We want genuine cadres of Zanu-PF to be on the lookout for these fake people and expose them.

"It's better to delay completion of restructuring processes as we ensure that we build a firm foundation.

"We can always ask (acting national political commissar Patrick) Chinamasa to give us more time to build our structures, which will make us victorious in the 2023 elections."

The turmoil has forced the ruling party to suspend district and provincial elections.