Daniel Shumba
Upenyu Chaota
MASVINGO – Zanu PF’s Team Lacoste and Generation 40 (G40) factions have scrapped their few months’ old truce and rekindled their feud ahead of the party’s December conference with ominous fights over control of the accreditation process.
The conference will be held from December 13 to 17 at the Masvingo provincial show grounds.
Last week’s accreditation process at Victoria Primary School came to a halt as members from both factions came close to fist fights with allegations that the accreditation list contained only names of those with close links to Masvingo Urban legislator, Daniel Shumba.
Suspected Team Lacoste members reportedly phoned party chief whip, Lovemore Matuke, demanding that the process be stopped because the list, which was sent from Harare, was a creation of Shumba whom they allege to be a G40 sympathiser.
Matuke confirmed stopping the accreditation process saying he was doing a duty for the nation.
“You cannot just compile a list from the comfort of your home and think we will accept that. The list is compiled by the provincial chairperson who then sends it to Harare where it is verified and then given to the accreditors.
“The people have to understand that the conference is attended by one party chairperson per ward and not everyone. It is not a place where you can take your whole family.
“We realised that the list which was being used was not for people who were in the structures but for the ones loyal to someone,” said Matuke who is also the secretary for security in Zanu PF.
Alleged G40 members then accused Matuke and Godhati Dunira, who are both said to be fighting in the Lacoste camp, of sour grapes.
Masvingo provincial chairperson Amasa Nhenjana, who at one point openly declared war on Team Lacoste, said Matuke has no power to stop accreditation if the names are already in the hands of the accreditors.
“Matuke is the secretary for security and he was present when the names were defended in Harare. He does not have the power to stop the accreditation now and we will make sure the process continues smoothly.
“It is not like the names were engineered here but they were approved in Harare. The accreditation will go on as planned,” said Nhenjana.news
