'Zanu-PF bigwigs on firing line'

Zanu-PF Manicaland chairperson Mike Madiro yesterday warned that a number of party members were on the firing line as President Emmerson Mnangagwa desperately moves to assert his control of the party and whip members into line.

Mnangagwa recently fired his trusted ally Owen Ncube from his State Security ministerial post following reports that he was directly involved in violence in the Midlands province where he allegedly bussed machete-wielding gangs to terrorise his opponents.

He has also suspended Zanu-PF director for administration, Retired Major-General Dickson Dzora and fired Munyaradzi Katsande, the party's head of information and communication technology over the chaos that characterised the party' provincial elections.

Dzora allegedly connived with some officials to corruptly engage a private company to print thousands of ballot papers for the party's provincial elections.

"President Emmerson Mnangagwa has no time to talk. He is in a mood of action, so don't be a victim of him, I am warning you. This is not a joke. Our President is very serious. He wants to discipline all rogue elements," Madiro said.

He made the remarks at a Nyanga inter-district meeting held at Nyamhuka Hall in the resort town.

Nyanga South MP Supa Mandiwanzira, central committee member Moses Gutu and Chief Saunyama, who recently bounced back into mainstream politics, among other officials, attended the meeting.

Madiro is a close ally of Mnangagwa and recently retained the post after defeating Makoni district co-ordinating committee chairperson Albert Nyakuedzwa in the provincial elections.

On Saturday, Mnangagwa said he was aware of plots to destabilise the party with a view of unseating him, and warned that he would "crush" his opponents before the December elective congress.

Madiro admitted that the divisions could cost the party in the 2023 harmonised elections.

"As a leader, you should always work with the people and show them the direction and we have some people who won the elections through rigging please be straight now and lead the party so that we achieve the five million votes in 2023," he said.

Zanu-PF is targeting five million voters to ensure a landslide victory. The opposition MDC Alliance is also targeting six million voters.