Kasukuwere in another storm

ZANU-PF National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere allegedly appointed shadow Members of Parliament to capture the grassroots as part of his plot to topple President Mugabe, it has emerged.

It is also alleged that he bulldozed a number of individuals - including high-ranking officials - to influential positions across various structures of the ruling party. This emerged at an investigative meeting in Bindura last Wednesday that examined circumstances leading to Zanu-PF's 10 provincial executives passing no-confidence votes on Kasukuwere.

Mashonaland Central was the first to call out Kasukuwere for trying to engineer President Mugabe's ouster via parallel structures primed for an Extraordinary Congress of the party. It is believed he was working with his half-brother, Dickson Mafios; who is the province's acting chairperson and one of the alleged shadow MPs.

Other provincial executives then turned up the heat, signing petitions calling for the removal of the national commissar. This saw Zanu-PF's President and First Secretary, Mugabe, assigning the case to a high-level probe team led by Advocate Jacob Mudenda. Adv Mudenda chaired last week's no-holds-barred meeting which received blow-by-blow accounts of how Kasukuwere methodically "captured" Parliamentary constituencies in Mashonaland Central and excluded bona fide MPs from major party decision-making processes.

Among the alleged shadow MPs were Charles Chikaura (Bindura South), Tongai Kasukuwere (Bindura North), Chasasa (Mbire) and Size (Muzarabani North). The four constituencies are represented by Cdes Remigious Matangira, Kenneth Musanhi, Douglas Karoro and Alfred Mafunga, respectively.

Sources told our Harare Bureau that the probe team heard that Mafios has been masquerading as MP for Mt Darwin East - a seat held by former Finance Minister Dr Christopher Kuruneri who is unwell. A source said: "Mafios was exposed over the issue of Kuruneri and how he and Kasukuwere were taking advantage of his being ill. It was revealed that Mafios wants to replace Kuruneri and he conducts business in his constituency, acting as if he is the MP. The meeting also heard how the two brothers created the Mashonaland Central Development Trust in order to plant their acolytes in various influential positions or appoint them shadow MPs."

Another added: "Allegations of imposition of candidates were difficult for the accused to defend as he was said to have catapulted Tabitha Kanengoni to the Central Committee. Tabitha contested for the post of National Youth League Executive member and lost to Dougmore Chimukoko who is now late. And during elections for the National Women's League Executive, Mai Shongedza came first, Irene Mutumbwa second while Cdes Machacha and Chigwada came third and fourth, respectively. At the 2014 Congress, Shongedza was booted out and Mutumbwa was supposed to assume the post of Women's League Secretary for External Affairs in line with due process. We were, however, surprised to see Kanengoni emerge from nowhere to become Secretary for External Affairs on behalf of Mashonaland Central when she was clearly behind Mutumbwa in the packing order."

The meeting also heard that Kasukuwere engineered the co-option of several characters into the Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central Provincial Executive instead of arranging elections. Mafios was a beneficiary of the co-options, assuming the provincial chairmanship following the expulsion of the incumbent, John Mushore.

Further, the two brothers were accused of attempting to grab claims in the gold-rich "Kitsiyatota" area of Bindura where party members are operating in syndicates.

Mafios' deputy, Kazembe Kazembe, is said to have given the probe team "a detailed report on the National Political Commissar's shenanigans", while others accused the brothers of unleashing thugs to intimidate their perceived opponents in the province. Some aggrieved party members failed to articulate their cases and were thus dismissed by the no-nonsense Adv Mudenda.

Both Kasukuwere and Mafios attended the meeting, but could not be drawn into commenting on the proceedings. Adv Mudenda told our Harare Bureau: "If you had been in the meeting, you would have seen that there were people with contrary views and they spoke without fear or favour. I want my team to finish the draft report by mid-next week (this week). We shall share the first draft with those who matter."