Zanu-PF members victimised for rallying against Madiro

SOME Zanu-PF leaders in Chipinge are reportedly being punished for rallying against the newly declared Manicaland provincial chair Mike Madiro in the recently held internal party elections.

Zanu-PF boss, President Emmerson Mnangagwa Wednesday approved the party's internal election results urging all members and contestants to remain united ahead of anticipated 2023 elections.

Earlier this week irate Zanu-PF supporters in Manicaland threatened to vote for opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in 2023 elections as way to express resentment over rigged internal party elections.

They claimed Albert Nyakuedzwa won the provincial chairmanship, although polls were rigged in favour of Madiro.

Madiro who is also Deputy Home Affairs Minister polled 16 263 votes against Nyakuedzwa's 14 748.

In a telephone interview Thursday Nyakuedzwa confirmed to New Zimbabwe.com some of his Chipinge staunch supporters in the recent internal party elections were now being victimized for rallying against Madiro.

"I am challenging the newly elected leadership to stop victimising members who were supporting me during the past internal party elections. I have heard that some members in Chipinge are already being victimized and being stripped out of their posts," Nyakuedzwa said.

He added: "Those who were chairpersons in the whole of Chipinge structures are now being chucked out for rallying behind me. It is not right because these people only exercised their democratic right by voting for their preferred candidate."

"Those who voted for me are party members hence not my own. Whatever the outcome of internal elections, we must reunite and move forward so we can win in the forthcoming elections. We want to retain all constituencies and wards that were won by MDC in Manicaland. We can only achieve this if we are standing firm, together as one," he said.

Asked about supporters who were fighting in his corner claiming to vote for opposition in 2023, Nyakuedzwa said they must retreat hence desist from crossing the floor.

"This is internal party democracy and we do not encourage people to vote for MDC because results were not in their favour. These issues must be solved internally, and we must not wash our dirty laundry in public. We accept whatever decision that has been endorsed by the politburo. We say no to bhora musango. Our bhora mugedhe message is loud and clear," he said.

Zanu-PF Manicaland spokesperson Oliver Mandipaka refused to comment on victimisation allegations of party members in Chipinge and directed questions to national information director Tafadzwa Mugwadi, whose phone was not reachable.