Kasukuwere is in deep trouble

Hyenas continue to prowl at the door of embattled Zanu-PF national political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere, with his party enemies vowing yesterday that it is "just a matter of time" before he faces the firing squad in the warring former liberation movement.

This comes as it emerged yesterday that Manicaland is now also planning to pass a vote of no confidence on the under-fire Local Government minister, together with his presumed allies - outspoken Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene and youth league boss Kudzanai Chipanga.

Mashonaland Central regional minister, Martin Dinha - who two weeks ago claimed that he had received death threats in the aftermath of demonstrations against Kasukuwere and his brother Dickson Mafios - told the Daily News yesterday that the combative minister was now facing "superior forces" in the wake of the slew of damaging allegations that he is facing, including claims of plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe from power.

Analysts also said it was clear that what had started as a seemingly hopeless campaign against Kasukuwere had snowballed into "a huge crisis" for him - as six party provinces, including Mugabe's home region of Mashonaland West, had now endorsed the push to have him jettisoned from his powerful party post.

This is despite Kasukuwere appearing to have been given a stay of execution by Mugabe over the past few days, including at the recent politburo meeting in Harare, following the wily nonagenarian's warning to his followers not to use demonstrations to air party grievances.

But Dinha, who is said to be close to the first family, made it clear yesterday that Kasukuwere and Mafios, were in deep trouble.

"This is not a small matter because zvinevanhu vakuru izvi (superior forces) who are involved. He (Kasukuwere) should do what I have said before.

"He should just resign and maybe then manage to live to fight another day. After all, the president is a very forgiving man," he told the Daily News.

Last week, Dinha had also piled further pressure on Kasukuwere, when he asked him to resign then.

"I advise the comrades (Kasukuwere and Mafios - who is acting party chairperson in Mash Central), in the interests of the party, to voluntarily step aside.

"... (Eunice) Sandi Moyo and ... Sarah Mahoka were brave enough to see reality and made wise choices to resign. It is not personal or subjective.

"The necessary organs of the party must act to address the grievances raised by the people of Mashonaland Central and Zimbabwe at large. I think the writing is on the wall for my fellow comrades and friends (Kasukuwere and Mafios)," Dinha said then.

"Put figuratively, a salesman or woman must be able to sell the product for his company. When he or she can no longer do so, or clients have lost faith in the sales team, the shareholders or management must find another sales team to increase sales and profits, to win market share.

"Zanu-PF must act fairly but decisively on this matter," Dinha said further.

Meanwhile, Manicaland province said yesterday it was ready to follow the script travelled by other provinces, by passing its own vote of no confidence on Kasukuwere, as well as against Chimene and Chipanga.

The province's party deputy chairperson, Joseph Mujati, confirmed to the Daily News that they would soon pass the dreaded vote of no confidence against Kasukuwere - a kiss of death in the troubled former liberation movement.

"I haven't seen the petition ... but we will pass it," Mujati said.

This comes as deadly intra-party violence erupted in Harare on Saturday, when supporters from opposing camps turned on each other and against police over Kasukuwere.

This occurred despite Mugabe ordering all Zanu-PF structures to stop the current push to give Kasukuwere the bullet from the party.

Insiders said this was ostensibly meant to give party bigwigs the space to determine the fate of the under-fire national political commissar.

Insiders have also previously told the Daily News that Kasukuwere's party enemies are "systematically working for his demise" - in the same manner former Vice President Joice Mujuru was chased out of the warring former liberation movement in 2014.

This is why these foes attempted to ratchet up the pressure on him by organising a press conference in Harare at the weekend at the party's provincial offices, to announce their support for his ouster - resulting in the deadly violence which was witnessed after they were stopped from doing so by the Mount Darwin South legislator's party sympathisers.

The Daily News was also told yesterday how suspected intelligence operatives had allegedly led irate Zanu-PF members in Mugabe's home province of Mash West into passing a vote of no confidence against Kasukuwere.

"They are forcing people to sign the petition in provinces like Mashonaland West where they used security agents to coerce people to sign the petition against Kasukuwere.

"In Manicaland, they are also ambushing people to sign the same petition," a source sympathetic to Kasukuwere said - adding that many signatures had also allegedly been forged in Harare.

Zanu-PF Harare provincial youth chairperson Edson Takataka confirmed the reports saying, "I heard those reports. We also know that people are being forced to sign the petitions".

Mafios has also alleged that the petitions were being distributed by "questionable characters who have no positions in the party".

But analysts have said that given Mugabe's unchallenged position in Zanu-PF, it was "unfathomable" that the nonagenarian did not have a hand in Kasukuwere's problems, even as he also publicly appeared to back his minister.

"It's difficult to run away from the conclusion that Mugabe is the chief architect of the goings-on in Zanu-PF. After all, the same tactics that were used on Mujuru are now again being deployed against Kasukuwere.

"He (Mugabe) has a tendency to deceive his lieutenants, pamper them with praises and even promise to bail them out when in fact he would be plotting their downfall," political analyst Gladys Hlatywayo told the Daily News.

Observers have also previously said Mugabe's failure to resolve Zanu-PF's thorny succession riddle is fuelling the ruling party's deadly infighting, which is worsening by the day.

The 93-year-old has studiously refused to name a successor, insisting that the party's congress has that mandate: to choose a person of their own choice.