News / National
Zanu-PF alleges infiltration in Midlands
09 Aug 2018 at 07:50hrs | Views
THE Zanu-PF Midlands leadership has claimed that the party did not do well in the July 30 harmonised elections, with the opposition MDC Alliance gaining a notable number of votes in the province because of alleged infiltration.
Emmerson Mnangagwa was last week declared presidential winner in the polls after garnering 50,8% against MDC Alliance's Nelson Chamisa, who amassed 44,3%.
Speaking at a low-key victory celebration in Gweru recently, Zanu-PF provincial vice-chairperson, Godwin Shiri said the number of votes the opposition got in the Midlands in general, and Gweru in particular, showed there were still elements in the ruling party working to destroy it from within.
"We have never recorded such a high number of votes for the opposition, particularly in Gweru," Shiri said.
"What it means is that we still have elements within the party who are working day and night to destroy the party. We, therefore, cannot afford to relax, hence starting next week (this week), we should go back to the people and start preparing for the 2023 elections."
The party's provincial commissar, Innocent Munanzvi, weighed in, saying there were some individuals in Zanu-PF who masqueraded as loyal cadres yet "were still G40 in mentality".
Munanzvi said party members should celebrate the victory in the recent elections peacefully and immediately go back to cell structures to "keep the ruling party revamped".
Last week, provincial chairman Daniel Mackenzie Ncube said Zanu-PF was going to reprimand senior party members, especially in Kwekwe Central, whom he alleged supported an independent parliamentary candidate Josinia Maupa ahead of the party's preferred candidate Kandros Mugabe, who lost the election.
Ncube claimed Maupa illegaly accessed campaign material from the Zanu-PF leadership in Kwekwe.
The Kwekwe Central seat was subsequently won by National Patriotic Party candidate, Masango Matambanadzo, who was fired from Zanu-PF over alleged G40 links.
The presidential poll results in the Midlands showed that Mnangagwa got 354 754 votes against Chamisa's 255 059 in the former's home province.
Zanu-PF also lost four parliamentary seats in the province, managing 22 out of the 28 seats.
In 2013, the ruling party got 26 seats.
Emmerson Mnangagwa was last week declared presidential winner in the polls after garnering 50,8% against MDC Alliance's Nelson Chamisa, who amassed 44,3%.
Speaking at a low-key victory celebration in Gweru recently, Zanu-PF provincial vice-chairperson, Godwin Shiri said the number of votes the opposition got in the Midlands in general, and Gweru in particular, showed there were still elements in the ruling party working to destroy it from within.
"We have never recorded such a high number of votes for the opposition, particularly in Gweru," Shiri said.
"What it means is that we still have elements within the party who are working day and night to destroy the party. We, therefore, cannot afford to relax, hence starting next week (this week), we should go back to the people and start preparing for the 2023 elections."
The party's provincial commissar, Innocent Munanzvi, weighed in, saying there were some individuals in Zanu-PF who masqueraded as loyal cadres yet "were still G40 in mentality".
Last week, provincial chairman Daniel Mackenzie Ncube said Zanu-PF was going to reprimand senior party members, especially in Kwekwe Central, whom he alleged supported an independent parliamentary candidate Josinia Maupa ahead of the party's preferred candidate Kandros Mugabe, who lost the election.
Ncube claimed Maupa illegaly accessed campaign material from the Zanu-PF leadership in Kwekwe.
The Kwekwe Central seat was subsequently won by National Patriotic Party candidate, Masango Matambanadzo, who was fired from Zanu-PF over alleged G40 links.
The presidential poll results in the Midlands showed that Mnangagwa got 354 754 votes against Chamisa's 255 059 in the former's home province.
Zanu-PF also lost four parliamentary seats in the province, managing 22 out of the 28 seats.
In 2013, the ruling party got 26 seats.
Source - newsday
