Factionalism rocks Zanu-PF Nyanga district

Zanu-PF central committee member Moses Gutu has been accused of fuelling factional fights in Nyanga district as the race for the 2023 elections gets heated up.

But Gutu yesterday denied the allegations, adding that he had no ambitions to contest for parliamentary seats in the district.

Zanu-PF acting political commissar Patrick Chinamasa recently convened an emergency meeting in Nyanga, where he expressed concern over sharp divisions in party structures in Nyanga, Chipinge and Mutare districts.

There were reports that Gutu had embarked on a smear campaign against Nyanga South MP Supa Mandiwanzira in a bid to wrest the seat.

"Our acting Zanu political commissar Patrick Chinamasa is very much concerned with the divisions in Nyanga district, and our provincial chairman Mike Madiro was also concerned. They did come for a crisis meeting, and their reason to come was confirmation that there were problems in the district," Gutu said.

"We had a constructive and long meeting that ended in the wee hours of the morning. The meeting had people who were perceived to be causing the divisions in the district.

"As a central committee member and provincial council member, I am happy that the meeting healed the district.

"I have been in the leadership for quite a long time, and it's natural that people will say that I am a factionalist, but to be frank with you, I don't belong to any faction. I don't harbour any ambition to become an MP in the district because there are people that are claiming that I want to be an MP," he said.