Senior Zanu-PF members jeer Mushowe

MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Chris Mushowe reportedly had egg thrown on his face on Saturday after he was jeered and booed by senior Zanu-PF officials who accused him of trying to displace small-scale farmers in Odzi and reallocate the land to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) run by his wife.

The drama occurred during a Zanu-PF provincial co-ordinating committee meeting where party officials accused Mushowe of seeking to elbow out small-scale farmers around Clare area near Odzi to accommodate the District Outreach for Care and Support (Docas), an NGO in which his wife, Penelope, is the patron.

Docas is a registered faith-based development evangelism agency of the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe church.

Although Mushowe was not reachable for comment yesterday, Zanu-PF provincial secretary for administration Kenneth Saruchera said he would later issue a statement of what transpired at the meeting.

Party sources said the issue was tabled for discussion after the affected farmers appealed to the Zanu-PF provincial executive.

When Mushohwe tried to explain the circumstances surrounding the matter at the meeting, party officials allegedly became hostile and jeered at him, accusing him of supping with the party's detractors.

The meeting, which was closed to the media, was attended by Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa, Women's Affairs minister Oppah Muchinguri, Energy deputy minister Munacho Mutezo, Information deputy minister Supa Mandiwanzira, Finance deputy minister Samuel Undenge and several other Zanu-PF legislators.

Other delegates included central committee members Mandi Chimene, Retired General Mike Nyambuya and deputy youth secretary and politburo member designate Kudzai Chipanga.

"According to reports we are receiving from members, this organisation (Docas) is funded by the West and then people were angered by the fact that this organisation want to take land from the Zanu-PF supporters especially the war vets," said one of the officials who declined to be named.

Meanwhile, the party's Manicaland provincial leadership drew its own proposed presidium comprising President Robert Mugabe, Vice-President Joice Mujuru, Simon Khaya Moyo as second vice-president and Didymus Mutasa as national chairman.

However, provincial chairman John Mvundura declined to confirm the proposed line-up, saying it was premature to do so.