Zanu-PF factional fights spill into public

Deepening factional tensions within Zanu-PF's Manicaland women's league were on full display during a Provincial Co-ordination Committee (PCC) meeting held in Mutare, as rival camps clashed over leadership positions and jostled for dominance.

The infighting saw feuding figures vying for seats at the high table, turning the ordinarily structured party gathering into a spectacle of power struggles. At the centre of the dispute are acting provincial women's league chairperson Mercy Sacco, who is reportedly aligned with Zanu-PF's secretary for legal affairs Patrick Chinamasa, and Dorothy Mabika, who is allegedly backed by Senate President Mabel Chinomona.

The post became vacant following the suspension of former chairperson Happiness Nyakuedzwa last year. Since then, both Sacco and Mabika have laid claim to the leadership role, leading to increasing confusion and discord within the party's provincial ranks.

The simmering tensions exploded at the PCC meeting, where both Sacco and Mabika attempted to assert themselves as the rightful leader by occupying the women's league chair at the top table.

The situation prompted Chinamasa to step in and appeal for calm, warning that the matter would be resolved by the party's politburo.

"I am the secretary for legal affairs and I must ensure the law is followed," Chinamasa said. "The law was not followed when Mabika was elected chairperson this year. The party leadership overruled that election. Sacco remains the acting provincial chairperson."

Chinamasa said the politburo is expected to address the leadership dispute when it convenes on July 4.

"That is why they are both sitting here today - we don't want to embarrass anyone. We will wait for the politburo outcome to resolve this matter," he added.

Despite Chinamasa's stance, some members of the women's league at the meeting maintained that Mabika was elected through proper internal procedures and should be recognised as the legitimate chairperson.

The spectacle laid bare the divisions that have plagued Zanu-PF's provincial structures, particularly in Manicaland, where factionalism has often disrupted internal harmony and undermined grassroots mobilisation efforts.

However, Zanu-PF information director Farai Marapira dismissed the notion of internal divisions, attributing the chaos to external interference.

"There are no factions in Zanu-PF," Marapira said. "It's the work of the opposition that is confusing vibrant engagement as factionalism."

Observers say the ongoing feud reflects broader power struggles within the party, as key leaders align behind rival camps in anticipation of future political shifts. The politburo's handling of the dispute in early July is now being closely watched, with the outcome likely to determine the trajectory of the women's league in Manicaland and beyond.