Mutsvangwa scoffs at Zanu-PF suspension

Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial secretary for information and publicity  Christopher Mutsvangwa yesterday described his suspension from the provincial structures as a non-event and yesterday addressed a provincial lands committee meeting in Chinhoyi. 

Mutsvangwa accused the party's Mashonaland West provincial committee chairperson,  Temba Mliswa, of defying President Mugabe and the Politburo by effecting his suspension despite a decision made last week to stop them.

He told members of the provincial lands committee that he would be guided by the President's position and that of the Politburo which lifted suspensions on party cadres.

"The Politburo met last week and the President came out clearly that no more suspensions until Congress in December," said  Mutsvangwa.

"That decision supersedes everything, so I would rather listen to what the Politburo and the supreme leader of the party said instead of the rantings of a junior party official."

 Mutsvangwa said if  Mliswa was not happy with the decision made by the Politburo last week on suspensions then he should resign.

"If he is not happy about the decision made by the President and the Politburo then he should resign from the chairmanship and the party," he said.

 Mutsvangwa said the provincial leaders should channel their energy towards development and attracting investment.

He said instead of being seized with "parochial issues", the province should be negotiating twinning arrangements and investment.

"They should be the ones who should be taking the lead to attract investors," he said.

"Rather than spend all the time talking about parochial issues, they should be visiting Jakarta, Seoul and Mumbai crafting sister relationships with other countries."

 Mutsvangwa said it was "mischief" on the part of the provincial leadership to uphold a subordinate position when the Politburo and President lifted the suspensions.

"Apart from the mischief of the provincial leader, there is also a case of magnifying a subordinate position," he said.

 Mutsvangwa, who is also the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, was suspended together with Hurungwe North legislator  Reuben Marumahoko at a provincial executive committee meeting on Monday for allegedly failing to attend some meetings.

 Mutsvangwa scoffed at suggestions by  Mliswa that the province would recommend him for a Central Committee position.

"I do not want any favours from him, that decision on whether or not I get into the Central Committee would be made by the people," he said.

Zanu-PF spokesperson  Rugare Gumbo yesterday said issues of discipline would be dealt with when national chairman  Simon Khaya Moyo meets provincial chairpersons on Wednesday this week.

"I wouldn't say they (Mashonaland West provincial executive) are going against the Politburo as such," he said.

"What the Politburo said was that the national chairman will sit with provincial chairpersons and advise them how to deal with party structures that include the youth and women.

"What the President was talking about relates to allegations by the youths that they were being victimised by senior leadership, but does not necessarily mean that other people who break party rules cannot be disciplined.

"In other instances party procedures should follow. However, a full statement on some of those issues will be issued on Wednesday after the national chairman meets provincial chairpersons."

Last week, the Politburo reversed the suspension of youth chairpersons from Harare, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland Central after they alleged that they were being victimised by their superiors.

Harare provincial chairman  Godwin Gomwe, Mashonaland West's  Vengai Musengi and Mashonaland Central's Godfrey Tsenengamu had been suspended, but had their suspension lifted after the Politburo meeting.

When he was suspended,  Vengai Musengi told The Herald that he was being crucified by the Mliswa-led provincial executive because he is nephew to  Emmerson Mnangagwa.

He claims he was also being punished for throwing his weight behind First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe to be the Secretary for Women's Affairs and for organising youths to travel to Mazowe to support her candidature recently.

 Musengi vowed to continue with his duties as the provincial youth chairman saying only the youths who elected him into office had the mandate to recall him.

 Mliswa, however, dismissed the allegations saying he too was closely related to  Mnangagwa.

Efforts to get a comment from  Mliswa were fruitless yesterday as his phone went unanswered.

The lands committee meeting chaired by Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister  Faber Chidarikire heard reports from the seven districts in the province where allegations of irregularities and corruption were made.

It was also attended by Zanu-PF Secretary for Lands and Resettlement  Ignatius Chombo and Minister of Lands and Resettlement Dr Douglas Mombeshora.