Mnangagwa's bickering Midlands allies bury the hatched

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa's aide in the Midlands province Daniel Mackenzie Ncube has urged Zanu-PF members to avoid factionalism and focus on fighting the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party.

Speaking at a Zanu-PF meeting in Kwekwe recently, the former Midlands provincial chairperson said he was impressed that party members were now united.

"The main issue is for us to be united; we are a single family in Zanu-PF," he said.

"Let us not fight each other in Zanu-PF; we are not enemies in Zanu-PF, our enemy is CCC. Why must we lose constituencies because of hatred? We are united and rallying behind the President. He is our sole candidate.

"Our problem emanates from primary elections. Primary elections have destroyed our party. Now we are dialoguing internally and working as a united front."

The remarks come at a time Midlands, which is Mnangagwa's home province, was giving the strongman a headache due to in-fighting.

The brawling saw the emergence of deadly factions which threatened to rip the party apart, as Ncube and now provincial chairperson Larry Mavhima fought in one corner while former State Security Minister Owen Ncube and Local Government Minister July Moyo were in another camp.

So serious were the fights that Mnangagwa was forced to fire long time ally Ncube from government following reports of violence in the run-up to the party's elections for the provincial executive.

Zanu-PF officials put up a united front at the recent meeting in Kwekwe

In a bid to mend the chasm between his allies Mnangagwa appointed Mavhima to the provincial chairmanship post after ordering Ncube to stop contesting the post.

A few months later the party heavy weights said they have put the fighting days behind them.

Instead they are now focusing on delivering a Mnangagwa poll victory next year as a united front.

Owen Ncube echoed the same unity sentiments.

"The train is now back on track so that we will win the 2023 elections as a united force," he said.

"Our main agenda is to win elections, we will only win elections if we are united. We must be registered to vote. As we are moving forward we are yet to have council or parliamentary candidates. We are only campaigning for the President. Mavhima is our provincial chairperson, supported by Chiherenge, his deputy."

He added; "If you heard that Mudha and Mackenzie are not seeing eye to eye that's your issue; we are now united. Others said Mudha and Mavhima are not seeing eye to eye; yes there was such a time but we are now united.

"We want to deliver victory for the President. Our President has already won the elections because he has his foot soldiers. We are his foot soldiers. People benefit when we are fighting. We now want a united Zanu-PF in the Midlands."

Mavhima on the other hand called for unity amongst the party's grassroots structures.

"We are now united as a province, there is no factionalism in Midlands," he said.

"At times people in the structures are the ones who make us fight. We are now focused and our focus is to win the Presidency with a landslide and we can only do that if we are united starting with the leadership down to the structures.

"We want to trash the opposition CCC to an extent that we are not going to have someone contesting the elections in court because the margin will be huge.

"Zanu-PF is unshakeable. We might have our differences but we always find each other and work together."