4ED outfits demanding sponsorship from Zanu-PF

Zanu-PF National Commissar, Mike Bimha, has unwittingly admitted that mushrooming appendages of the party are using their proximity to the ruling organisation for financial gains, deviating from their mandate of drumming up support ahead of elections.

Affiliates under Zanu-PF have been mushrooming ostensibly to support the economic development of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his re-election bid in this year's general elections.

Speaking at a media briefing at Zanu-PF Headquarters in Harare Friday, Bimha warned affiliates, calling them to be formally registered with the party.

"We have witnessed a proliferation of organisations coming in the form of such and such for ED.

"We welcome the proliferation of these organisations which are to support the party, there to support the president, support our objective of achieving five million plus voters for the president and the party.

"However, we would want these organisations to be formalised.

"They have to apply for an affiliation status. We find there are organisations coming forward. They are applying for status but at the same time they come and say look can we have loans for our projects.

"Affiliates are not formed to get loans from the party. The party does not give any loan for projects," he said.

Men believED, Miners for ED, Teachers for ED, Health workers for ED, Councillors for ED and Driving Schools for ED are among structures aligning with the ruling party.

The emergence of these structures has attracted criticism from political observers who argue that they are curated for financial gains of its leaders by the virtue of being in the ruling party.

These parallel structures have reportedly riled some Zanu-PF members who accuse them as having unfettered access to Mnangagwa.

The parallel structures are also perceived to be Mnangagwa's tactic to strengthen his grip on power and broaden his support base in the reported battle between him and Constantino Chiwenga.

"We would also want to make sure that those affiliates that have been accorded the status, whenever they have issues, whenever they want to approach the party, their link is through the commissariat department.

"We do not want confusion, where some affiliates go to the finance department, others go to the information department," said Bimha.