Chiredzi – Following two years of squabbling over the presidency of the Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Workers Union (ZSMWU), Freedom Madungwe has now landed the helm of the powerful union after clinching a resounding victory in the union’s elections recently held at Chishamiso stadium.
The development comes after Madungwe’s rivals had, through their lawyers Ndlovu and Hwacha, written a letter to the labour ministry stating that Mudungwe was no longer suitable to lead the union.
They claimed that Madungwe had been dismissed from work but it later emerged it was only a smear campaign meant to disgrace Madungwe.
Later on, the ministry ordered that elections be held and the elections have now been held with Madungwe emerging as the winner while Faster Gono was elected to be the union’s secretary general.
In an interview with TellZim News after the elections, Madungwe praised the manner in which the elections were held and said only Tongaat Hullet employees with current payslips were eligible to vote.
Madungwe also said they have since written a letter to the National Executive Council chairman for collective bargain to ensure a decent salary and better living conditions for Tongaat Hulett employees.
 “Last year Tongaat Hulett employees went on an industrial action protesting against poor salaries and bad living conditions but now I am sure these are going to be addressed and we have since written a letter to our chairman for collective bargain to push for a decent wage and good working conditions,” said Madungwe.
He promised to work hard to improve living conditions and stressed that Tongaat Hullet must do something since most of its employees are living in squalid quarters with no electricity.
“It’s so sad that most of the company employees are living in dilapidated quarters and most of them use firewood as a source of energy yet the company produces some electricity especially when its crush period,” said Madungwe.news
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Itai Muzondo

Masvingo – The Zanu PF Provincial Executive for Masvingo has announced that preparations for the upcoming party conference to be held in Masvingo in December are progressing well.
Speaking during a Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held at Victoria Junior School last Saturday, Zanu PF Masvingo Province Secretary for Administration, Ailes Baloyi said it was high time the party formed committees to execute different duties if the conference is to be a success.
“We have been honored a lot this year as Masvingo province and we must not bring ourselves into disrepute by failing to execute duties we have been entrusted with. We should therefore start organising committees that will handle different assignments today so that the conference is a success,” Baloyi told fellow party supporters.
Zanu PF Provincial Chairperson Amasa Nhenjana however told TellZim News that venue and dates for the 16th annual Zanu PF Indaba are yet to be set.
“We are yet to get dates and venue for the conference from higher offices. As a province, we have however decided to kick-start preparations so that the day will be a success. Numbers are also yet to be confirmed but we are expecting scores of party supporters to grace the occasion,” Nenjana said.
Last year’s conference was held in Victoria Falls. The conference will see Masvingo hosting the conference for the second time after the one held at Masvingo Teacher’s College in 2003.

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Masvingo – Political analysts from all corners of the country have unanimously agreed that President Robert Mugabe is the ruling  Zanu PF party’s enemy number one whose age and dictatorial tendencies are threatening to destroy the revolutionary party beyond redemption.
Mugabe (92) who stands as the world’s oldest president has since expressed interest to stand as Zanu PF’s presidential candidate in 2018 despite the fact that he will be 94 years old. If he wins that election, he will serve for five years and will be leaving office at the age of 99 years.
Analysts who spoke to this publication said Mugabe’s age has become a liability to both Zanu PF and the country since his continued stay is scaring away investors while creating factions within his party as people jostle for strategic positions in the party as as they anticipate a succession.
Harare based political analyst Rashweat Mukundu said Mugabe must do the honorable thing and leave power so that both Zanu PF and the country will move forward. He said currently people from government have redirected their energy towards fighting for positions instead of development.
“People who are supposed to come up with ideas to turn the economy around are busy fighting and are on a looting spree of whatever little resources that still remain in the country. The writing is on the wall for everyone to see that Mugabe’s age has created fissures in Zanu PF. People are busy aligning themselves so that they can get as close as they can to the presidency.
“The only enemy which Zanu PF has is Mugabe and if order is to be restored, Mugabe has to go. Everyone in the ruling party thinks that Mugabe will not be around for long and that is why they are all thinking about their political careers. Mugabe should have appointed a successor before he turned 90,” said Mukundu.
“Mugabe’s age now requires for him to go home and rest. He should let young and energetic blood take over but as it stands, he wants to die in office. He does not care what will happen to Zanu PF or the country after he is gone,” added Mukundu.
Another analyst Dr Takavafira Zhou said there is a power vacuum in Zanu PF which is manifesting as two bitterly opposed rival factions; G40 and Team Lacoste. Dr Zhou said Mugabe must plan for his exit.
“It is high time Mugabe thinks of a dignified exit. That is the only way he can scrap a little respect from the people of Zimbabwe. His age is the reason why Zanu PF is at war. He has lost control of the ship and nobody listens to him.
“There are high levels of corruption under his watch and people are getting away with it since Mugabe lost authority long back. It is normal that at his age death can visit him at any time but he does not want to resolve the succession dispute. Zanu PF will die with Mugabe if he does not hand over the button soon,” said Dr Zhou.
Former Zanu PF member who has now joined opposition politics with the Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) Rtd Col Kudzai Mbudzi said all the conflicts within Zanu PF are centred on Mugabe’s age and they can only be destroyed by destroying Zanu PF.
“Mugabe is now a liability to Zanu PF and nobody genuinely likes him. Everyone is pretending to be a darling to the old man but in reality they want him to go. He can rig everything but age has caught up with him. The economy has suffered because of him since nobody trusts him.
“Mugabe has even lost control of his wife Grace,” said Mbudzi.
Another Masvingo based political analyst and lecturer at Great Zimbabwe University Mabweazara Mugodzwa said Zimbabwe has a leadership crisis that require a complete system overhaul.
“Mugabe has outlived his usefulness. All hope and trust has been lost because of the old man. He should look deep down in his heart and do the honourable thing. He does not have the power and energy to stir this country forward. Someone in Zanu PF has to step up and deal with this enemy who has caused turmoil in the party.
“Mugabe is responsible for the creation of Team Lacoste and G40 factions because of his selfishness. These warring factions will tear Zanu PF apart. The party is sitting on a ticking time bomb,” said Mugodzwa.
Zimbabweans have of late stood up against Mugabe calling for his immediate resignation using the various means at their disposal chief among them being social media platforms.
However, another analyst Jowere Mukusha dismissed Mugabe’s critics saying Zanu PF has its own democratic structures which would have allowed them to remove him (Mugabe) long back if he was a liability.
“Mugabe is not a liability to both Zanu PF and the country… the fact that they still rally behind him means that they (Zanu PF) still believe in him and they love his leadership,” said Mukusha.

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Itai Muzondo

Masvingo – In a move which came as a surprise in the deeply divided Zanu PF party, the G40 faction last Saturday bulked under factional pressure and called for ceasefire with Team Lacoste as the party struggles to find common ground in the run up to its conference slated for December in Masvingo.
Alleged G40 front man, Saviour Kasukuwere, who is also the Zanu PF Political Commissar, descended on Masvingo last Saturday for a Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting where he frantically tried to pacify the two warring factions
Held at Victoria Junior Primary school, the meeting saw G40 stewards making stunning compromises which included reversing the recent suspension of eleven party members who are linked to the rival Team Lacoste faction.
The 11 are Alois Baloyi, Jeyas Masosota, Ignatius Murindi, Zvepano Munganasa, Buster Mafio, Godhati Dunira Hungwe, Mucharevei Chamisa, Zindari Prisca Moyo, Susan Madzivadondo, Brian Munyoro and Senderai Manyanga.
Other suspected Team Lacoste sympathisers are, however, wary of the latest peace overtures form G40, suspecting their rivals are not acting in good faith but only want to use them for a successful congress and then chuck them out thereafter.
After the meeting, Kasukuwere told TellZim News it was high time the party regrouped to fight from the same corner.
“This meeting was a follow up to all meetings that the province held with the president to try to resolve factional issues. The meeting managed to achieve unity among political leaders in the province. They have since decided to work together as one unit with a target of defeating the opposition. We are having a fresh start.
“To support this, we have asked all parliamentarians to do their work with a known diary so that we can always come and support their events as national executive. This will even revive the hope of party supporters who had been disturbed by dirty fights which had engulfed the party. All in all, we are looking forward to strengthened party structures,” Kasukuwere said.
On reports that factional fights in the province centred on control of sugar giant Tongaat Hullet’s land, Kasukuwere said the rightful response on government position towards the controversial ‘cane-cake’ can only be answered by lands minister Douglas Mombeshora.
Alleged Team Lacoste diehard and one of the most senior party members in the province, Josaya Hungwe, however, seemed to be setting conditions for any possible ceasefire, saying party members must respect their superiors if unity was to prevail.
Hungwe has been at the receiving end of G40 fire lately, with junior members openly calling for his dismissal form the party for allegedly undermining President Robert Mugabe.
Others have also accused him of corruptly giving himself vast tracks of land in the province and confiscating resources from Tongaat Hullet for himself.
“I am happy with this development and I wish that this peace goes far, until elections. I have been a troubled man in the past but today, I am a happy man because with unity, things will definitely shape up. I am not at all vindictive because even the gospel tells that at some time, people get into nasty wars and finally unite for a developmental cause,” said Hungwe.
“To achieve this unity, I urge all party members to be respectful because lack of respect has led to divisions. The President also instructed me as an elder to listen to juniors so I will listen to them and from them, I expect openness.  It would not be good after saying we are united to hear that there was a meeting in Chiredzi without my knowledge,” Hungwe said.
Zanu PF insiders, however, dismissed all semblance of unity saying the recent ructions in the party cultivated deep grudges that cannot simply be wished away like that.
Deep-rooted enmity between Gutu South MP Dr Paul Chimedza and Provincial Affairs Minister, Shuvai Mahofa, who reportedly instigated Dr Chimedza’s suspension from the party in 2014, is said to be still raging.
During the meeting, Talent Chivange a youth member allegedly aligned to the G40 faction was allowed into the meeting while alleged Team Lacoste youth firebrand, Finos Makwarimba was thrown out for suggesting that there be elections to choose substantive Provincial Executive members.news

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