 |
| The new DCC were first endorsed by Matuke during a PPC at Chivi growth point |
…Matuke defends Chadzamira, warns
‘detractors’
…Makwarimba faction faces
expulsion ‘for bringing name of party into disrepute’
Moses Ziyambi
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has
endorsed the new Masvingo District Coordination Committee (DCC) leadership that
was elected under controversial circumstances on December 05-06, 2020.
During his visit to Chombwe water
scheme in Chivi North on December 23, Mnangagwa was introduced to the new
district chairpersons by Zanu PF national political commissar Victor Matemadanda.
Mnangagwa then took time to greet
the new leadership and congratulate everybody who was elected before urging all
party members to work together and rally behind the winners.
Matemadanda then took a swipe at
disgruntled party members who feel that the elections were rigged in favour of
a faction aligned to the party’s provincial chairperson Ezra Chadzamira, and
have been circulating videos on social media with damaging allegations of vote
fraud.
Of particular interest is a
Masvingo district-based faction alleged to be led by Clemence Makwarimba and
his son Phainos who want the district election results annulled on the basis of
rigging.
The Makwarimba faction is also
said to be vehemently opposed to Chadzamira leadership and they cannot wait to
see his back.
Before the Chombwe endorsement,
the new leadership had got the support of senior party member Lovemore Matuke,
who is secretary for security in the politburo.
Addressing a Provincial
Coordination Committee (PCC) meeting at Chivi growth point on December 19,
Matuke, who is secretary for security in the politburo, railed against what he called
concerted efforts to attack the provincial party leadership.
Matuke was sandwiched by
secretary for legal affairs in the politburo Paul Mangwana, Chadzamira, deputy chairperson
Robson Mavhenyengwa and many other party officials.
“Do not take our quietness for
foolishness. We are not foolish; we would not have reached where we are if we
were foolish. There are some of you who are going against our chairman and we
are watching you. You might think that you are going against the chairman alone
but no, you are also going against the rest of us,” said Matuke.
He warned that nobody will remove
Chadzamira from his position except the generality of the party membership at
the right time.
“It’s not Masvingo district alone
which elected our chairman. We cannot have him removed today by your district;
it’s all of us who will remove him altogether,” said Matuke.
Other sources in the party said
people aligned to the Makwarimba faction was now under pressure and many of
them could be expelled this year ‘for using social media to bring the
name of the party into disrepute’.
