Mugabes in Mahofa witchcraft storm

The Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial executive has distanced itself from elements trying to soil the image of the First Family by claiming that Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Shuvai Mahofa succumbed to poisoned food supplied by people dabbling in witchcraft.

The province has been under the spotlight after reports emerged that some senior party leaders were chased away from Sen Mahofa's funeral wake for allegedly taking part in her poisoning. Youths are alleged to have accused the senior members of being behind the alleged poisoning of the late heroine and Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who fell ill during the Presidential Youth Interface Rally in Gwanda recently.

President Mugabe recently admonished the party leadership in Masvingo for peddling falsehoods about VP Mnangagwa's illness

Addressing a Zanu-PF provincial co-ordinating committee meeting yesterday, provincial chairman Ezra Chadzamira said action would be taken against those who were soiling the image of the First Family.

He said the First Family was revered, adding that Masvingo was solidly behind the leadership of President Mugabe.

"We want to make it categorically clear that Masvingo Province is behind President Mugabe and the ruling party leadership in the province completely distances itself from claims that the First Family was in any way involved in the supply of poisoned ice cream.

"There are some people who are trying to create disharmony by falsely claiming that we were moving around soiling the name and image of the First Family during the funeral wake of Sen Mahofa.

"As a province we are going to make our own investigations to get to the bottom of the matter so that we identify the individuals who might have said bad things about the First Family, but our position as Zanu-PF Masvingo leaders is that no one ever made claims of witchcraft or supply of poisoned food," he said.

Chadzamira urged Masvingo Province to ensure the ruling party retains all the seats won in the 2013 polls.

"We want to make sure that anyone found to have said anything bad about the First Family is brought to book.

"Bring such people to us and if they are party members they will be dealt with accordingly because we want a united province," he said.

Chadzamira said the allegations made by the Mahofa family after the late heroine's death should not be misconstrued as the position of the ruling party in Masvingo.

Zanu-PF national deputy secretary for security Lovemore Matuke reiterated the province's support for President Mugabe and his leadership.

He, however, had no kind words for leaders peddling falsehoods and creating a rift between President Mugabe and the provincial leadership.

"As Zanu-PF Masvingo province we want to make it very clear that we are fully behind President Mugabe and we will never condone insinuations to the effect that there are some people who consumed poisoned food particularly supplied by the First Family's Gushungo Diary," he said.

"We have already instituted investigations to establish the identity of people peddling those falsehoods and if the culprits are party members, action will be taken against them."

Matuke said the oversubscribed Masvingo leg of the Presidential Youth Interface Rally, and the capacity crowd during the commissioning of Tokwe-Mukosi Dam among other gatherings showed that the ruling party was solidly behind the President in Masvingo.

The PCC meeting was heated with members clashing over the source of poison claims against the First Family and the final resolution that was supposed to be made.

Senior ruling party leaders among them Masvingo Urban legislator and national deputy secretary for transport Daniel Shumba, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi, Zanu-PF provincial vice chairman Amasa Nhenjana and secretary for administration Ailess Baloyi attended the meeting.