Ministers battle to control Zaka district

Zanu-PF factional wars in Masvingo are far from over as the battle for dominance between provincial chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa and his predecessor and current Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira has taken center stage in Zaka district.

The factional fights in the district have resulted in two district National Tree Planting events with each faction hosting its own event.

The National Tree Planting day is held annually on the first Saturday of December and the provincial event was held last weekend at Gwindingwi High School in Bikita district and the province dedicated the whole month of December to tree planting exercises at different levels.

The Provincial event was poorly attended because the Chadzamira faction was allegedly in control of the programme and other party members opposed to the faction went to Mwenezi West for celebrations of MP Priscilla Zindari Moyo who is believed to be a Chiwenga sympathiser.

In Zaka, Chadzamira faction led by District Coodinating Committee (DCC) chairperson Clemence Chiduwa who is deputy Minister of Finance and Zaka East MP is hosting the district programme at his homestead on Saturday.

To counter the event however, the Mavhenyengwa faction which is fronting Deputy Minister of Agriculture and current MP for Masvingo North who is poised for Zaka Central in the 2023 general elections had initially organized theirs at Manokore Secondary School on December 9.

However, the counter programme was deferred to next week after the DDC saved her alleged comrades in the Chadzamira faction by declaring the Saturday programme as the official district programme.

Sources said ‘team Marapira' influenced the school to request to host an event at their school from the forestry commission and sucking the school together with the forestry commission into the battle unknowingly.

"Team Marapira influenced the school head to host the event at their school which they gladly agreed since it was beneficial to the school. This leaves the Forestry Commission in a difficult position as they are supposed to take a leading role at both functions," said the source.

Another source said Chiduwa/Chadzamira faction then used Dhliwayo to threaten the District Schools Inspector Samson Chidzurira who then instructed the school which had been used as a scapegoat to host the event.

"Team Chadzamira through the DCC chair used Dhliwayo and his deputy Victor Zinanga who are now meddling in political factions and is pocketed by Chiduwa faction. They wrote a letter to the District Schools Inspector Samson Chidzurira to postpone the programme and it was presented as a school programme though Marapira was going to fund everything," said the source.

Contacted for comment Dhliwayo as usual denied having knowledge of the letter and refused to comment referring all questions to Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) Chief Executive Officer David Majaura.

"I don't know of any letter, you can ask the CEO he is in charge of the tree planting event," said Dhliwayo.

Efforts to get a comment from Chidzurira were futile as his mobile phone went unanswered several times.

On his part Chiduwa said the programme at his homestead was the district launch so other programmes will then follow saying there was nothing political about it.

"There is nothing political about the tree planting events, what has happened is that the other programme was scheduled a day before the district launch but I am told the DDC addressed the issue and the other one was postponed to a date to be advised," said Chiduwa.

Marapira was not available for comment as his cell phone was not reachable by the time of publishing.

Marapira is becoming a threat to a number of Zanu-PF stalwarts in the district as he is going around the district donating goods and running different activities.

He has since gained favour in Zaka Central ahead of the incumbent Davison Svuure who is also the DCC vice chairperson.

Marapira has since shrugged off competition from other aspirants after talking down Aleta Makomeke and Mafred Mada who is the sitting councillor for ward 13.

Mada was promised be given the council chairperson position though he vowed to resist it while Makomeke is said to have been promised another top post in the party.