Ex-Minister Mupfumira attacks Zanu-PF rival

FORMER cabinet minister, Prisca Mupfumira chose a state function to vent anger at her estranged ally who is eyeing to dislodge her from an influential Zanu-PF central committee post.

The ex-public service and social welfare minister made a rare public appearance Friday at a national clean-up campaign at Pfungwadzakanaka shopping centre in Chinhoyi graced by Zanu-PF second secretary, Kembo Mohadi

Mupfumira threw decorum out of the window and took the opportunity to confront Martha Munondo-Tafirenyika and admonished her against machinations to jettison her from her current central committee position.

Munondo-Tafirenyika confirmed to NewZimbabwe.com the stand-off with Mupfumira.

"Yes, Mupfumira confronted me and said l was getting in her way, and that l must drop my ambitions of landing a central committee position via the women's quota," Munondo-Tafirenyika said.

"I told her off since Zanu-PF is a democratic party in which l also have a right to contest for whatever position. She has pending disciplinary issues within the party as well as at the courts. She must be cleared first before she starts campaigning for any post."

The former minister is central committee member courtesy of the women's quota, but Munondo-Tafirenyika is demanding she immediately relinquishes the post and contest in the Zanu-PF main wing elections for central committee, where she will square off with powerful candidates such as Mike Chimombe, among others.

However, Mupfumira wants Munondo-Tafirenyika to clear the way for her to retain her central committee seat as she launches an ambitious come-back following her unceremonious dismissal from her plum government job.

Munondo-Tafirenyika is a provincial councillor in the yet-to-be functional organ which is a product of the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe.

Soures close to developments told NewZimbabwe.com, the beleaguered former cabinet minister under prosecution for over US$90 million corruption wants to retain her party positions in order to get Zanu-PF protection in her ongoing court cases.

This is despite her waning influence and popularity within the ruling party in which she was a member of the powerful Politburo, Zanu-PF's highest decision-making body outside congress.

Efforts to get comment from Mupfumira were fruitless by the time of publishing.