Zanu-PF's Mutsvangwa blasts 'male chauvinists' after loss

MONICA Mutsvangwa's row with Didymus Mutasa continued as she blamed the Zanu-PF administration secretary for her defeat in the women's league provincial elections for Manicaland held last week.

The elections were held as part of preparations for the women's league's national conference.

Senator Mutsvangwa who is the league's national secretary for information failed to make the top four during the elections.

Mutsvangwa is believed to be loyal to the Emmerson Mnangagwa faction in the party and has claimed she was being targeted ever since she challenged John Mvudura for the provincial chairperson's post last year.

Mvudura and Mutasa are said to be members of a rival faction backing Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

In results confirmed by provincial chairman Mvudura, Mutare South MP Nyasha Chikwinya got the highest votes ahead of Agatha Mugomba-Muparutsa, Jane Mabuto-Knight and Alice Mutindori.

Two of these will head portfolios in the national executive.

Mutsvangwa has however since launched a complaint with the provincial executive citing several irregularities in the vote.

She accused some Politburo and Central Committee members in the province of working against her by intimidating her supporters.

Those orchestrating an agenda against her, she claimed, included Mvudura, Mutasa, Munacho Mutezo, Enock Porusingazi, Esau Mupfumi, Fred Kanzama and Nyasha Chikwinya.

Mvudura however dismissed the allegations, saying no one in the province had an agenda against the senator.

Last month Mutasa claimed that Mutsvangwa was no longer a member of the Zanu-PF central committee because she had challenged Mvududu for the provincial chair's post in last November's elections.

Responding at the time Mutsvangwa said: "I will teach those male chauvinists a lesson they will never forget."

Mnangagwa, who is Zanu-PF's legal affairs secretary, said Mutsvangwa remained a member of the party's central committee.