Zanu-PF war escalates, Mahoka sues women's league provincial chair

Hurungwe East Zanu-PF MP, Sarah Mahoka, has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the party's Mashonaland West women's league (WL) chairperson Angeline Muchemeyi, accusing her of defamation.

Mahoka says Muchemeyi falsely claimed that she was undermining Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa's authority and that she embezzled money meant for the First Lady Grace Mugabe's rallies.

The suit was filed in the High Court.

She took great exception to claims by Muchemeyi that "Mahoka is facing serious charges of undermining the authority and the person of ... Mnangagwa".

"She is also behind the disappearance of several thousands of dollars meant for the first lady's countrywide rallies held last year," Muchemeyi was quoted as saying.

According to the court summons filed in December, Muchemeyi's comments were made after the party's provincial executive meeting held at the Zanu-PF's provincial head offices in Chinhoyi, two days before the publication of the story.

Mahoka, who is on record claiming to be in good books with Grace Mugabe, said Muchemeyi's words were defamatory because they damaged her reputation as a parliamentarian.

Her lawyers described Muchemeyi's comments, detailed in the complaint, as "completely false and highly defamatory."

The lawsuit is the latest step in the increasingly acrimonious wars in Zanu-PF, which has been balkanised by deadly internal fights.

"The plaintiff (Mahoka) considers the…statement to be highly defamatory particularly due to the following: She is also Zanu-PF's national women's league's secretary for finance. Suffice to say that plaintiff is a public figure both at the party structure and at national level as a parliamentarian. Any news about the plaintiff is going to attract a lot of interest and is going to attract a lot of readership," Mahoka said.

She said she was never brought to court on allegations of theft and has never been found guilty.

"The plaintiff has also not been tried by the Zanu-PF's disciplinary committee and found guilty of theft..., the plaintiff's image has been severely tarnished… she has lost the confidence and trust of the electorate, her fellow members of Parliament ...," she said.

Mahoka said she is now being ridiculed both in government and in public.

"For a lawmaker, this is seriously damaging...the defendant as against the person of the plaintiff, the plaintiff claims against the defendant $1 million representing damages for the injured reputation of the plaintiff in the eyes of the public," Mahoka said, adding that Muchemeyi was driven by bad faith.