News / National
Kasukuwere to push for Mutodi ouster
14 Mar 2017 at 14:18hrs | Views
There are claims that Zanu-PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere will be pushing for
the expulsion of businessman Energy Mutodi from the party when the
politburo meets on Wednesday.
According to a statement posted on Energy Mutodi Facebook's page on Today, Kasukuwere is "being pressured by a tribal clique of Goromonzi West and North members of parliament Beatrice Nyamupinga and Paddy Zhanda as well as Seke member of parliament Phineas Chihota to give the businessman a boot."
Read Full post below:
KASUKUWERE TO PUSH FOR MUTODI OUSTER
ZANU PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere is expected to push for the expulsion of businessman Energy Mutodi from the party when the politburo meets tomorrow.
After Mutodi was hauled before a disciplinary hearing on March 3 in Marondera by his Mashonaland East provincial executive, details have since emerged that the disciplinary panel that was chaired by retired Assistant Commissioner Everisto Pfumvuti was under instruction from Kasukuwere to give Mutodi marching orders.
It has also been revealed that Kasukuwere himself was also being pressured by a tribal clique of Goromonzi West and North members of parliament Beatrice Nyamupinga and Paddy Zhanda as well as Seke member of parliament Phineas Chihota to give the businessman a boot.
Apart from being a fellow member of parliament, Chihota also doubles as Nyamupinga's boyfriend.
News making rounds in the province are that the three MPs together with Uzumba-Marambapfungwe member of Parliament Simbaneuta Mudarikwa were spotted at a city hotel persuading Kasukuwere to help them deal with Mutodi whom they accused of trying to wrestle the Goromonzi West seat from Nyamupinga in 2013 elections.
They argued that it was not possible for Mutodi to take the seat since he was born in Masvingo, about 300km away.
But Mutodi has insisted that he is a Zimbabwean and a ZANU PF member for Mashonaland East province and does not need a passport to migrate to any province of his choice.
He has also added that nowhere in the party's constitution is it written that party members shall contest for parliamentary seats only in provinces they were born; adding that the party law document instead urges members to belong to party structures in areas they are ordinarily resident for ease of attending meetings and participation in party programs.
During the disciplinary hearing on March 3, Mutodi was grilled over DailyNews articles one of which was entitled, "ZANU PF indaba, a bootlicking jamboree", in which he was quoted blaming the G-40 faction for playing divisive politics to the detriment of the party.
The panel also took time grilling the businessman over media reports that he had denigrated Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko for staying in a lavish hotel at the expense of tax payers while refusing to accept several offers of government accommodation.
Mutodi also faced a charge for calling for an extra-ordinary congress to choose President Mugabe's successor.
However the businesssman and prominent party member raised his defense by drawing the panel to Chapter 4 subsection 60 (1 a & b) of the national constitution that provides for the freedom of conscience as well as the subsequent subsection 61(1a, b & c) of the constitution that provides for the freedom of expression, freedom to communicate ideas as well as the freedom of artistic expression, scientific research, creativity and academic freedom.
Mutodi told the panel that most of his articles were academic and were meant to provoke debate over how best the party could improve its decision making mechanisms and management styles so as to win future elections with ease.
When one of the panelists David Musabayana raised a point that it was the party constitution that needed to be prioritized ahead of the national constitution, Mutodi referred the panel to Chapter 1 subsection 2(1&2) of the constitution that states that the national constitution was the supreme law of the land that everybody including political parties needed to uphold.
The businessman also implored on the panel to understand that since ZANU PF was the ruling party, it needed to be at the forefront in upholding the national constitution and as such would need to revise its party constitution from time to time to weed out any laws that are inconsistent with the national constitution.
The politburo which is the highest decision making body of the party in between congresses is expected to deliberate on the matter when it meets tomorrow.
It is highly expected that the matter will be thrown out as it is a typical example of the tribal struggles that have taken center stage in fueling factionalism in the ruling party.
Veteran President and ZANU PF First Secretary Robert Mugabe is on record saying tribalism and regionalism have no place in the ruling party.
(Energy Mutodi is a doctoral degree candidate at the University of Cape Town and also studies Law at the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a Masters degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of War Studies & Geography from the University of Zimbabwe. He is a member of ZANU PF).
According to a statement posted on Energy Mutodi Facebook's page on Today, Kasukuwere is "being pressured by a tribal clique of Goromonzi West and North members of parliament Beatrice Nyamupinga and Paddy Zhanda as well as Seke member of parliament Phineas Chihota to give the businessman a boot."
Read Full post below:
KASUKUWERE TO PUSH FOR MUTODI OUSTER
ZANU PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere is expected to push for the expulsion of businessman Energy Mutodi from the party when the politburo meets tomorrow.
After Mutodi was hauled before a disciplinary hearing on March 3 in Marondera by his Mashonaland East provincial executive, details have since emerged that the disciplinary panel that was chaired by retired Assistant Commissioner Everisto Pfumvuti was under instruction from Kasukuwere to give Mutodi marching orders.
It has also been revealed that Kasukuwere himself was also being pressured by a tribal clique of Goromonzi West and North members of parliament Beatrice Nyamupinga and Paddy Zhanda as well as Seke member of parliament Phineas Chihota to give the businessman a boot.
Apart from being a fellow member of parliament, Chihota also doubles as Nyamupinga's boyfriend.
News making rounds in the province are that the three MPs together with Uzumba-Marambapfungwe member of Parliament Simbaneuta Mudarikwa were spotted at a city hotel persuading Kasukuwere to help them deal with Mutodi whom they accused of trying to wrestle the Goromonzi West seat from Nyamupinga in 2013 elections.
They argued that it was not possible for Mutodi to take the seat since he was born in Masvingo, about 300km away.
But Mutodi has insisted that he is a Zimbabwean and a ZANU PF member for Mashonaland East province and does not need a passport to migrate to any province of his choice.
He has also added that nowhere in the party's constitution is it written that party members shall contest for parliamentary seats only in provinces they were born; adding that the party law document instead urges members to belong to party structures in areas they are ordinarily resident for ease of attending meetings and participation in party programs.
During the disciplinary hearing on March 3, Mutodi was grilled over DailyNews articles one of which was entitled, "ZANU PF indaba, a bootlicking jamboree", in which he was quoted blaming the G-40 faction for playing divisive politics to the detriment of the party.
The panel also took time grilling the businessman over media reports that he had denigrated Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko for staying in a lavish hotel at the expense of tax payers while refusing to accept several offers of government accommodation.
Mutodi also faced a charge for calling for an extra-ordinary congress to choose President Mugabe's successor.
However the businesssman and prominent party member raised his defense by drawing the panel to Chapter 4 subsection 60 (1 a & b) of the national constitution that provides for the freedom of conscience as well as the subsequent subsection 61(1a, b & c) of the constitution that provides for the freedom of expression, freedom to communicate ideas as well as the freedom of artistic expression, scientific research, creativity and academic freedom.
Mutodi told the panel that most of his articles were academic and were meant to provoke debate over how best the party could improve its decision making mechanisms and management styles so as to win future elections with ease.
When one of the panelists David Musabayana raised a point that it was the party constitution that needed to be prioritized ahead of the national constitution, Mutodi referred the panel to Chapter 1 subsection 2(1&2) of the constitution that states that the national constitution was the supreme law of the land that everybody including political parties needed to uphold.
The businessman also implored on the panel to understand that since ZANU PF was the ruling party, it needed to be at the forefront in upholding the national constitution and as such would need to revise its party constitution from time to time to weed out any laws that are inconsistent with the national constitution.
The politburo which is the highest decision making body of the party in between congresses is expected to deliberate on the matter when it meets tomorrow.
It is highly expected that the matter will be thrown out as it is a typical example of the tribal struggles that have taken center stage in fueling factionalism in the ruling party.
Veteran President and ZANU PF First Secretary Robert Mugabe is on record saying tribalism and regionalism have no place in the ruling party.
(Energy Mutodi is a doctoral degree candidate at the University of Cape Town and also studies Law at the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a Masters degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor of War Studies & Geography from the University of Zimbabwe. He is a member of ZANU PF).
Source - Online
