News / National
Mzembi's proverbial nine lives
11 Jun 2015 at 08:15hrs | Views
Call it fate or pure luck lurking by his side; and hate him or like him, but Tourism and Hospitality Minister Walter Mzembi has the proverbial nine lives of a cat - at least politically.
Suspected to be hobnobbing with ousted former vice president Joice Mujuru, the Masvingo South legislator has survived the mighty Zanu-PF axe that has so far claimed the scalps of more than 140 individuals, including the bigwgs.
Mujuru, the widow of Zimbabwe's first army commander, Solomon Mujuru, was fired from government and the party for allegedly trying to unconstitutionally unseat President Robert Mugabe. She has denied the charges.
Like his fellow Zanu-PF colleagues purged from both party and government, Mzembi was also on the firing line and many thought his fate was closely tied to their political fortunes.
Suprisingly, Mzembi survived the first round of the purges when the rival faction in the Zanu-PF provincial leadership structures recommended to the Politburo that he be expelled or suspended from the party alongside several others, but he was spared although the resolution was endorsed for the others on the hit list.
The Politburo is Zanu-PF's powerful organ in between congresses.
Mzembi also lost the central committee elections but was rescued by President Robert Mugabe who appointed him among 10 members under the proportional representation system.
The central committee is the principal organ of the Zanu-PF congress and acts on behalf of congress when it is not in session.
President Mugabe, who chairs the Politburo, told the Zanu-PF congress that he had appointed Mzembi into the central committee as he was hard-working.
Despite surviving the initial purges, Zanu-PF hardliners exerted more pressure for Mzembi to be shown the exit door after he grabbed a US$3 million chicken breeding farm in Masvingo owned by Hellen Mitchel.
His exploits re-ignited the ire of opponents in the party who include Provincial Affairs Minister, Shuvai Mahofa, who he once criticised after she and many other bigwigs invaded Save Valley Conservancy in the Lowveld in 2013. Mahofa tried to block Mzembi from grabbing the chicken farm, saying the project was the sole supplier of Masvingo's day old chicks and eggs.
She appealed to Lands Minister Douglas Mombeshora to stop Mzembi from taking the project, which churns out 200 000 day-old chicks and 100 000 eggs per week throughout Masvingo province.
The Masvingo provincial lands committee also recommended that Mzembi be stopped in his tracks, but up to now, the offer letter given to him has not been revoked.
Mzembi has said he is not taking over Mitchel's project but only annexing a part of the farm that was gazetted.
His public feud with Mahofa over the farm was a stern political test that continues to hover over his political career.
But it seems the punches are leveraged in his favour as he still holds on to the offer letter, according to Lands Minister Douglas Mombeshora.
"We are yet to deal with that issue. Once we are done, we will tell you the outcome," Mombeshora said this week when called for a comment.
Mzembi was also sucked in a suspicious web of transactions during the hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly, co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in 2013.
He reportedly went under investigation for allegedly abusing US$2,5 million donated to the Tourism Ministry by Mbada Diamonds for the purchase of vehicles and equipment used during the event in Victoria Falls.
He, however, refuted the allegations and blamed them on Zanu-PF's internal strife.
Daring his detractors to bring up evidence, Mzembi said everything was accounted for, including the cars. The case died a natural death and he went off the hook.
In 2012, Mzembi was fingered in the so-called Asiagate soccer scandal after former ZIFA board member, Mwandibhuya Mutepfa, implicated him.
Giving evidence in the trial of ex-Zifa chief executive officer, Henrietta Rushwaya, Mutepfa said Mzembi had reportedly arranged one of the Asian trips for the warriors.
Mzembi was however exonerated.
In the run-up to the July 31, 2013 polls, Mzembi, who was generally unpopular among party members in his constituency, also survived another scare from serving Central Intelligence Organisation agent, Lazyman Humbe, who wanted to challenge him in the party primary polls.
Mzembi sailed through the polls uncontested after he outfoxed Humbe whose nomination papers were rejected by the party provincial elections directorate on a technicality that he had not served the party for five years.
Mzembi later beat the MDC-T candidate in the area, Lovemore Matongo, who was his main challenger.
He was to retain his Tourism Ministry portfolio in the ensuing Cabinet appointments by President Mugabe.
Mzembi, who at one time was referred to as ‘engineer', also ignited a firestorm over the purported "dodgy" degrees he obtained from a questionable university. But still nobody pursued the case and the storm was soon over.
While still in his political infancy, Zanu-PF hawks in Masvingo planned his ouster while he was still the district coordinating committee chair, but he escaped unscathed.
Sources claim Mzembi survived Zanu-PF's biggest purge since independence because of his closeness to the first family.
"He is the one who organised for a honeymoon of (President) Mugabe's daughter, Bona, with her husband, Simba Chikore in Sychelles last year after the couple's wedding. The first couple has a soft spot for him," said one Zanu-PF insider.
To buttress such claims, the First Lady Grace Mugabe, at her controversial meet the people rally here in Masvingo's Mucheke stadium last year, glowingly mentioned Mzembi as "one of Masvingo's trusted leaders".
Grace, castigating Mujuru faction members at the rally, boasted that she had "people spying for her" in the faction, referred to as Gamatox, which is the name of a banned pesticide.
She also said she would leave seed and mealie-meal she donated in the hands of "leaders who the people trust", ignoring the then provincial chairman, Kallisto Gwanetsa.
"Those you trust will distribute the seed," referring to Mzembi and interestingly his political foe Mahofa, now the Provincial Minister for Masvingo.
Mzembi has also admitted having a very solid relationship with the late Edson Zvobgo, once seen as the godfather of the province.
Pro-Mujuru Zanu-PF members accuse Mzembi of selling out by leaking the faction's secrets to their rivals in the party. They accuse him of double standards.
"He is a double edged sword. Mzembi is a chameleon that changes its colours to suit the environment. He does things that benefit him at that particular time and we heard he secretly went and apologised to the first family and started backbiting others and selling faction secrets," said a pro-Mujuru faction member who was fired from the party.
After all has been said and done, Mzembi remains a survivor.
Suspected to be hobnobbing with ousted former vice president Joice Mujuru, the Masvingo South legislator has survived the mighty Zanu-PF axe that has so far claimed the scalps of more than 140 individuals, including the bigwgs.
Mujuru, the widow of Zimbabwe's first army commander, Solomon Mujuru, was fired from government and the party for allegedly trying to unconstitutionally unseat President Robert Mugabe. She has denied the charges.
Like his fellow Zanu-PF colleagues purged from both party and government, Mzembi was also on the firing line and many thought his fate was closely tied to their political fortunes.
Suprisingly, Mzembi survived the first round of the purges when the rival faction in the Zanu-PF provincial leadership structures recommended to the Politburo that he be expelled or suspended from the party alongside several others, but he was spared although the resolution was endorsed for the others on the hit list.
The Politburo is Zanu-PF's powerful organ in between congresses.
Mzembi also lost the central committee elections but was rescued by President Robert Mugabe who appointed him among 10 members under the proportional representation system.
The central committee is the principal organ of the Zanu-PF congress and acts on behalf of congress when it is not in session.
President Mugabe, who chairs the Politburo, told the Zanu-PF congress that he had appointed Mzembi into the central committee as he was hard-working.
Despite surviving the initial purges, Zanu-PF hardliners exerted more pressure for Mzembi to be shown the exit door after he grabbed a US$3 million chicken breeding farm in Masvingo owned by Hellen Mitchel.
His exploits re-ignited the ire of opponents in the party who include Provincial Affairs Minister, Shuvai Mahofa, who he once criticised after she and many other bigwigs invaded Save Valley Conservancy in the Lowveld in 2013. Mahofa tried to block Mzembi from grabbing the chicken farm, saying the project was the sole supplier of Masvingo's day old chicks and eggs.
She appealed to Lands Minister Douglas Mombeshora to stop Mzembi from taking the project, which churns out 200 000 day-old chicks and 100 000 eggs per week throughout Masvingo province.
The Masvingo provincial lands committee also recommended that Mzembi be stopped in his tracks, but up to now, the offer letter given to him has not been revoked.
Mzembi has said he is not taking over Mitchel's project but only annexing a part of the farm that was gazetted.
His public feud with Mahofa over the farm was a stern political test that continues to hover over his political career.
But it seems the punches are leveraged in his favour as he still holds on to the offer letter, according to Lands Minister Douglas Mombeshora.
"We are yet to deal with that issue. Once we are done, we will tell you the outcome," Mombeshora said this week when called for a comment.
Mzembi was also sucked in a suspicious web of transactions during the hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly, co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia in 2013.
He reportedly went under investigation for allegedly abusing US$2,5 million donated to the Tourism Ministry by Mbada Diamonds for the purchase of vehicles and equipment used during the event in Victoria Falls.
He, however, refuted the allegations and blamed them on Zanu-PF's internal strife.
In 2012, Mzembi was fingered in the so-called Asiagate soccer scandal after former ZIFA board member, Mwandibhuya Mutepfa, implicated him.
Giving evidence in the trial of ex-Zifa chief executive officer, Henrietta Rushwaya, Mutepfa said Mzembi had reportedly arranged one of the Asian trips for the warriors.
Mzembi was however exonerated.
In the run-up to the July 31, 2013 polls, Mzembi, who was generally unpopular among party members in his constituency, also survived another scare from serving Central Intelligence Organisation agent, Lazyman Humbe, who wanted to challenge him in the party primary polls.
Mzembi sailed through the polls uncontested after he outfoxed Humbe whose nomination papers were rejected by the party provincial elections directorate on a technicality that he had not served the party for five years.
Mzembi later beat the MDC-T candidate in the area, Lovemore Matongo, who was his main challenger.
He was to retain his Tourism Ministry portfolio in the ensuing Cabinet appointments by President Mugabe.
Mzembi, who at one time was referred to as ‘engineer', also ignited a firestorm over the purported "dodgy" degrees he obtained from a questionable university. But still nobody pursued the case and the storm was soon over.
While still in his political infancy, Zanu-PF hawks in Masvingo planned his ouster while he was still the district coordinating committee chair, but he escaped unscathed.
Sources claim Mzembi survived Zanu-PF's biggest purge since independence because of his closeness to the first family.
"He is the one who organised for a honeymoon of (President) Mugabe's daughter, Bona, with her husband, Simba Chikore in Sychelles last year after the couple's wedding. The first couple has a soft spot for him," said one Zanu-PF insider.
To buttress such claims, the First Lady Grace Mugabe, at her controversial meet the people rally here in Masvingo's Mucheke stadium last year, glowingly mentioned Mzembi as "one of Masvingo's trusted leaders".
Grace, castigating Mujuru faction members at the rally, boasted that she had "people spying for her" in the faction, referred to as Gamatox, which is the name of a banned pesticide.
She also said she would leave seed and mealie-meal she donated in the hands of "leaders who the people trust", ignoring the then provincial chairman, Kallisto Gwanetsa.
"Those you trust will distribute the seed," referring to Mzembi and interestingly his political foe Mahofa, now the Provincial Minister for Masvingo.
Mzembi has also admitted having a very solid relationship with the late Edson Zvobgo, once seen as the godfather of the province.
Pro-Mujuru Zanu-PF members accuse Mzembi of selling out by leaking the faction's secrets to their rivals in the party. They accuse him of double standards.
"He is a double edged sword. Mzembi is a chameleon that changes its colours to suit the environment. He does things that benefit him at that particular time and we heard he secretly went and apologised to the first family and started backbiting others and selling faction secrets," said a pro-Mujuru faction member who was fired from the party.
After all has been said and done, Mzembi remains a survivor.
Source - fingaz
