Zanu PF's Masvingo province fire rages

ZANU PF factional fights in Masvingo took a new dimension yesterday, with the four executive members, who were reportedly suspended on Monday, laughing off their suspensions and demanding President Robert Mugabe's intervention and the dissolution of the Ezra Chadzamira-led executive.

The call came after Chadzamira chaired a provincial executive meeting at the weekend, where he reportedly fired secretary for gender, Mutero Masanganise, secretary for legal affairs, Teddy Muzoroza, Gutu South MP, Tichazorwa Madondo and a Mazorodze, who was the provincial deputy commissar.

Provincial vice-chairperson, Amasa Nenjana was reassigned to the less influential position of secretary for security and replaced by Ailess Baloyi, whose previous position, secretary for administration was given to Brian Munyoro, from the youth league, both said to be loyal to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Team Lacoste faction.

Masanganize, who on Monday said he was unaware of the development, was breathing fire yesterday, calling for the senior party leadership to immediately fire the whole Chadzamira executive, accusing it of dividing Zanu PF ahead of elections due next year.

"The proper leadership of the party should dissolve the Chadzamira executive and replace it with an interim one to lead the party to next year's general elections, not the nonsense that is going on," Masanganise, who lost to Chadzamira in the race for chairmanship early this year, fumed.

He said he would engage Tourism minister Walter Mzembi to organise an urgent meeting with Mugabe.

Mzembi said the Chadzamira executive was failing to resolve the factional fights and called for Mugabe to act and dissolve the entire Masvingo executive.

"I only arrived yesterday from America, where I was accompanying the President at the United Nations and my office was inundated with calls from comrades from the province asking me to appeal to President Mugabe to save them from unconstitutional actions that have become a trademark of this province," he said.

"The affected comrades should disregard the unilateral actions by Chadzamira and continue to discharge their duties unperturbed.

"Under the circumstances, given that the provincial executive is now constituted by less than a third of elected members, it means that the provincial executive should be dissolved and an interim executive that will unite us before the elections put in place."
The Tourism minister said Chadzamira recently questioned Masvingo Central MP, Daniel Shumba's sincerity in his support for Zanu PF, as he once formed his own party.

"This is a question of a kettle calling the pot black, considering where Chadzamira was recruited from himself," Mzembi said.

Chadzamira was an MDC-T member ahead of the 2008 elections, where he lost in the race to represent the party in the general elections in the party's primaries.

"I can only say, therefore, that Chadzamira also needs that [cleansing] period before assuming senior roles in the party," Mzembi continued.

He said the chairman cannot be allowed to be conflicted to the extent of gerrymandering with the party structures at will to axe his perceived enemies.

Muzoroza said he appealed to Mzembi because "he is the only voice of reason in the province".

He said his dismissal was a nullity because he was not given the right to be heard and above all, he did not miss a meeting without notice.

Nenjana also vowed to fight back, dismissing his reassignment as a nullity.

Party provincial commissar, Jeppy Jaboon said the dismissals and reshuffle were a nullity, pleading for the party to be united ahead of next year's polls.

"The attempted co-options are a nullity. Masvingo will not tolerate continued factionalism, we need unity going into the elections," he said.

Chadzamira yesterday denied that some members had been fired, but refused to explain what happened at the meeting, referring questions to the provincial information secretary, Ronald Ndaba, whose mobile phone was not reachable.