Confusion in Zanu-PF camp over 'rebel'

The Zanu-PF leadership in Kwekwe has been accused of supporting an independent candidate fired from the party to the extent of giving him party campaign material at the expense of the candidate who won the primary elections.

Zanu-PF provincial chairman Engineer Daniel Mackenzie Ncube announced recently that aspiring independent candidate for Kwekwe Central Constituency National Assembly seat Advocate Jossinia Maupa, was one of the four who were fired from the party for standing as independent candidates in the July 30 harmonised elections.

Adv Maupa will battle it out with Kandros Mugabe, who won the Zanu-PF primary elections, Mr Masango Matambanadzo (NPF) and Mr Blessing Chebundo (MDC-Alliance), among others.

Eng Ncube in an interview said he was aware of the matter after being quizzed about it by the party leadership from Harare. "I can confirm that there are reports to the effect that our party candidate for Kwekwe Central is being allegedly starved of campaign material by some party leaders in Kwekwe.

"The campaign material, it is said, has been given to an independent candidate at the expense of the party candidate. "So I was quizzed by our party headquarters from Harare with regard to the matter and I am looking into it," he said.

Eng Ncube said he will write a report after completing his investigations, adding that it would be unfortunate if the Kwekwe leadership was allegedly supporting a losing candidate ahead of the preferred one.

"All our aspiring members should have campaign material to push for the election of the councillor, the MP and President Mnangagwa. "So starving a winning candidate will be suicidal," he said.

President Mnangagwa early this month urged Zanu-PF members to be wary of individuals contesting the July 30 harmonised elections as independent candidates, but masquerading as ruling party cadres. The President said such characters were not genuine Zanu-PF members and had no room in the party. His warning comes in the wake of former Zanu-PF members who are standing as independent candidates in National Assembly and local authority elections, but claim to be supporting him.

Former Zanu-PF members such as Noah Mangondo, Temba Mliswa and Mekia Tanyanyiwa have been campaigning as independents for Murehwa South, Norton and Zvimba West National Assembly seats respectively, but claim to be supporting President Mnangagwa's presidential candidature.