Kudzai Matava
Gutu – Under fire Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Shuvai Mahofa has taken a dig at Gutu South MP and suspended Zanu PF member Dr Paul Chimedza, labeling him a traitor despite a call by Zanu PF Political Commissar Savior Kasukuwere for unity in the party and the province.
Lately, Kasukuwere has been fervently working to secure unity ahead of the party’s annual conference to be held in Masvingo in December but it seems Mahofa is determined to see Dr Chimedza going down the political drain.
Kasukuwere’s efforts culminated in a provincial meeting held last weekend at Victoria Junior school at which party members grudgingly agreed to work together.
The attack on Dr Chimedza was made during Heroes’ Day celebrations at Maungwa business centre and it becomes the latest salvo in a long running feud and political grudge that spans at least eight years.
Mahofa reportedly instigated Dr Chimedza’s suspension in 2014 on untested allegations of belonging to the ‘Mujuru cabal’.
“Chimedza is a traitor! We all know that he is attending Zimbabwe People First’s rallies behind our backs,” said Mahofa addressing her people.
She went on to declare that people must not follow Chimedza.
“Stop listening to Chimedza’s lies that he was forgiven by the President. He must produce a letter which shows he is no longer suspended and this letter must be from the Masvingo executive. Our structures do not include Chimedza because we set them when he was suspended.”
Mahofa also told the people he will reveal his chosen person whom the people must vote for in the party primaries in preparation for the 2018 elections, confirming rumours that she was plotting to remove Chimedza at all costs.
The attack is also likely to complicate Zanu PF recent manoeuvres to secure a truce in a province ripped apart by factional battles in which the two are said to be on different sides.
A sworn enemy of Dr Chimedza, Mahofa has found the youthful MP a thorn in her flesh since 2008 when he tried to contest against her in the party primaries for the Gutu South constituency candidature in the general elections held that year.
Mahofa subsequently prevailed against Dr Chimedza after she was allegedly imposed on an electorate that had become fed-up with her unimpressive tenure as the area’s long-time MP.
Mahofa, however, went on to lose the seat to MDC’s Eliphas Mukonoweshuro, her first defeat in an area she had represented since 1985.
The defeat, Zanu PF’s first loss in the constituency since 1980, reportedly stung Mahofa so much that she blamed it on Dr Chimedza’s treachery.
After the defeat she also reportedly swore to Gutu South villagers that she would make sure that nothing developmental gets done in their area.
It seems she has managed to live up to her word though, with Dr Chimedza blaming her for scuttling a number of projects that he initiated; an electrification programme of all schools in ward 28 and a state-of-the-art solar-powered clinic in the same ward.news
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He who said it can not be done must not disturb the one doing it!
