News / National
Zanu-PF Manicaland implodes
29 Oct 2018 at 05:44hrs | Views
KNIVES have been drawn against Zanu-PF Manicaland political commissar Gift Kagweda, with some provincial executive committee members (PEC) calling for his suspension after he wrote to the party's national leadership and war veterans' national association, claiming a vote of no confidence against the Mike Madiro provincial leadership.
Kagweda is the war veterans chairman in Manicaland and doubles as the party's provincial political commissar.
In September, he wrote a letter to the Zanu-PF party leadership against the Madiro leadership, whom war veterans accused of being incompetent.
He accused the leadership of making President Emmerson Mnangagwa unpopular in the province after drawing fewer votes than MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa in the July 30 harmonised elections.
Kagweda's matter was debated at a provincial executive committee meeting held in Mutare on Friday, which he did not attend.
Committee members were angry that Kagweda, for the umpteenth time failed to attend the meeting despite holding a key position.
A provincial executive member Masimbamakuru Kangai from Buhera district told the meeting that Kagweda had turned against the provincial leadership.
"He (Kagweda) is the political commissar of the party in the province and is against the leadership. Can we work with him? He should be suspended, indeed, this is a key position and we can't work with such a political commissar," he said.
Another member, Richard Mandiwanzira from Nyanga district, told the meeting that some members were being bribed to turn against the provincial leadership.
"It's now too much. Can we continue to tolerate this. No l don't think so, the provincial political commissar is not attending meetings. l am told that some members in the party are being given money through EcoCash transactions," he said.
Some war veterans in the PEC also recommended the suspension of Kagweda.
Madiro, however, stamped his authority, claiming that there was need to set up a committee led by war veterans to engage Kagweda.
"It is not nice to fight each other in the party, we need to grow as a political party. We need to engage Kagweda to see what is happening and we are going to set up a committe led by war veterans, who will meet our political commissar," he said.
Kagweda yesterday claimed he was only representing a Zanu-PF constituency
Kagweda is the war veterans chairman in Manicaland and doubles as the party's provincial political commissar.
In September, he wrote a letter to the Zanu-PF party leadership against the Madiro leadership, whom war veterans accused of being incompetent.
He accused the leadership of making President Emmerson Mnangagwa unpopular in the province after drawing fewer votes than MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa in the July 30 harmonised elections.
Kagweda's matter was debated at a provincial executive committee meeting held in Mutare on Friday, which he did not attend.
Committee members were angry that Kagweda, for the umpteenth time failed to attend the meeting despite holding a key position.
A provincial executive member Masimbamakuru Kangai from Buhera district told the meeting that Kagweda had turned against the provincial leadership.
"He (Kagweda) is the political commissar of the party in the province and is against the leadership. Can we work with him? He should be suspended, indeed, this is a key position and we can't work with such a political commissar," he said.
Another member, Richard Mandiwanzira from Nyanga district, told the meeting that some members were being bribed to turn against the provincial leadership.
"It's now too much. Can we continue to tolerate this. No l don't think so, the provincial political commissar is not attending meetings. l am told that some members in the party are being given money through EcoCash transactions," he said.
Some war veterans in the PEC also recommended the suspension of Kagweda.
Madiro, however, stamped his authority, claiming that there was need to set up a committee led by war veterans to engage Kagweda.
"It is not nice to fight each other in the party, we need to grow as a political party. We need to engage Kagweda to see what is happening and we are going to set up a committe led by war veterans, who will meet our political commissar," he said.
Kagweda yesterday claimed he was only representing a Zanu-PF constituency
Source - newsday
