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| Jorum Gumbo |
Upenyu
Chaota
Zanu PF politburo member Jorum Gumbo,
who was in charge of Masvingo District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections held
on December 05 – 06, has said a faction allegedly fronted by senior party
member Clemence Makwarimba, former national political commissar Retired Lt Gen
Engelbert Rugeje and Josaya Hungwe employed violent tactics in a desperate bid
to win the elections.
The faction rallied behind Trust Mugabe
for the position of Masvingo DCC chairperson but he lost dismally to Tawanda
Dube.
The Makwarimbas; including Clemence’s son
Phainos, Rugeje and Hungwe are alleged to have been pushing for a rerun but all
was in vain as the politburo approved the results of all the seven districts of
Masvingo province.
Gumbo told TellZim News that there were
some centres in Masvingo and Chiredzi districts that did not vote and he recommended
a re-run for those centres only.
“Generally, the elections were free and
fair though there were some incidences here and there. There were five centres
which failed to vote in Masvingo district and 17 in Chiredzi district.
“Masvingo district was torn between the
people who supported Trust Mugabe and those who supported Tawanda Dube for the post
of chairperson. It was unfortunate that the Mugabe camp was very violent and at
some point I threatened to disqualify them,” said Gumbo.
“The Mugabe team was always at the
provincial command centre shouting obscenities and I advised them to leave and
go to the people. They chased away a team which had come from Gutu to conduct
elections at one polling centre. The Gutu team ran for their lives and left
ballot boxes which were later collected by the police and brought to us,” Gumbo
added.
In Masvingo, there were petitions written
by disgruntled members from Zaka and Masvingo districts who were pushing for a
re-run of the election but the politburo, chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa
has since shut the doors on any possible re-runs in the province.
When contacted for comment over the
alleged violence, Rugeje angrily said TellZim News must get comment from the
very people who aligned him to the Mugabe faction.
“Why are you calling me? I am at home
with my family. Get comment from the person who gave you that story. You are disturbing
me I want to sleep,” said Rugeje when he was contacted for comment around past
7 in the evening.
Due to the disputed results, sources
say that there is now a fierce rivalry between the Makwarimbas and the
Chadzamira factions.
The Makwarimba faction is said to be the
one which authored the re-run narrative saying the people were robbed of their
right to democratically-elect their leadership.
Phainos, who is provincial deputy
political commissar, told TellZim News that there was no factionalism in Masvingo.
He said people were only asking for a chance
to participate in free and fair elections.
“All people did was ask for a free and
fair elections. Now they are attacking my person and my father for telling them
the truth. All of a sudden they want to be more Lacoste than others. We know
the history of some of them and they were not there when my father was fighting
for Zanu PF,” said Makwarimba.
He added that such transgressions would
cost the party come 2023 elections.
“The scariest thing is to go against
Chadzamira but he should allow his people to decide. I am afraid this will cost
the party come 2023 elections. I am just vocal but I will never plot against
President Mnangagwa,” said Makwarimba.
