Samukange fights Ray Kaukonde's 'puppets'

Independent legislator Jonathan Samukange is locked in a messy fight with Zanu-PF Members of Parliament (MPs) in Mashonaland East.

There is bad blood between Samukange (Mudzi South MP)", legislators Newton Kachepa (Mudzi North) and Acquillina Katsande (Mudzi  West) respectively, who the lawyer-cum-politician says are "puppets" of his political nemesis Ray Kaukonde.

Samukange accuses Kaukonde, who is Zanu-PF chairperson for Mashonaland East, of blocking his re-admission into the party after the former stood as an independent candidate in last year's legislative elections.

This was after Zanu-PF had directed Samukange to step aside for Eric Navaya in the contest.

Likening himself to President Robert Mugabe, Samukange said he was "the cremora of Mudzi," a constituency he won despite the heavy odds stacked against him.

Despite having been elected an independent candidate Samukange says his loyalty still lies with Zanu-PF.

Last weekend, the Daily News witnessed Samukange dressing down Kachepa who had came to his constituency "uninvited". Kachepa allegedly tried to gatecrash a Goromonzi field day that was being officiated by Samukange.

"Who has invited you to my constituency?" Samukange fumed. "You are only here at my reception to try to disrupt it! Did you ever see me in your constituency at your meetings addressing people and denouncing your name?" he said, charging at Kachepa, who tried to explain his presence at the rally.

"I know that you are coming to my constituency together with Aquilinah Katsande to denounce me, claiming that you want to elect a new MP to replace me. I don't know why you are doing it, as I am not interfering with your constituencies. I want you to know that I am ready to face you in your challenge."

Kachepa pleaded with Samukange, saying he was on a reconciliation mission claiming he had been sent by the Zanu-PF leadership in Mashonaland East.

"I want to work with you," Kachepa said. "I am not seeking to fight you. We are all MPs representing our people."

Samukange said he was making efforts to be readmitted into Zanu-PF as its legislator.

"I was elected to be the chairperson of the parliamentary legal committee after being voted by MPs in Parliament and I understand that President Mugabe also approved of my name to chair that committee, and this makes me wonder when people say that Samukange is not working with Zanu-PF anymore," Samukange said.

"President Mugabe is the cremora of Zimbabwe and I am the cremora of Mashonaland East Province. I challenge any MP in the province to embark on the developmental projects I am doing in their constituencies too."

Samukange defeated Navaya after he had been disqualified from contesting on a Zanu-PF ticket in the July  31 elections.

He claimed the Zanu-PF leadership in Mashonaland East province led by Kaukonde were frustrating his efforts to re-join the party.

Samukange and Munyaradzi Kereke MP for Bikita West constituency are the only two independent MPs in Parliament, both of them claiming to be de facto Zanu-PF MPs.

Ladislus Ndoro, Zanu-PF for Murehwa West and secretary for information for Mashonaland East, said Samukange was wrong to denounce other legislators.

"Samukange is making his life difficult politically by denouncing the leadership of the party in the province," Ndoro said. "We are not going to accept him back if he wants to re-join us because of the way he is behaving in rubbishing the leadership.

"He should explain to people why he has not been coming back to them after he was elected, not spend time denouncing other MPs."