Zanu PF now broke: Chombo

10 April 2017, Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Ignatius Chombo shocked party delegates in Mwenezi last week when he told them that the revolutionary party was broke and could not be able to pay US$3 million debt accrued during the Bikita West by-election campaign in January this year.
Sources who attended the Zanu PF closed door meeting ahead of a rally held Avhunga Secondary School on Saturday said Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Shuvai Mahofa asked Chombo to explain why the party had failed to sponsor the Mwenezi East campaign.
Chombo responded saying the party was broke and it was therefore impossible to print t-shirts and posters for Joosbi Omar.
The party did not give Omar any financial assistance and not even a single t-shirt was printed, a situation which is completely opposed to what happened in Bikita West where resources were dished out almost on daily basis.
Chombo, however, donated US$ 5000 which he said was coming from his personal pocket. Of the money he donated, Chombo said US$3 000 was supposed to be handed over to Avhunga Secondary for the refurbishment of some classroom blocks while US$2 000 was supposed to be used for buying fuel for Omar.
It is alleged that Chombo urged the party leadership to mobilise members of the public to pay for their party membership electronic cards in order to fund-raise for the party.
In Mwenezi East, Zanu PF is reportedly making efforts to have at least 40 000 people buy Zanu PF electronic cards – a move which will see them raising US$40 000.
However, sources said the Masvingo provincial leadership was not happy that the party had “dumped Omar at a very critical moment when he needs all the resources he can get.”
Minister of Agriculture Joseph Made, who also in attendance, was praised for disbursing tonnes of rice which has been distributed in the constituency.
“We are very angry because the party is being unfair, how can they show bias. We thought they were going to pour resources here, the way they supported Beauty Chabaya in Bikita West,” said a source who attended the briefing.
Efforts to talk to Omar on Monday up to the time of going to print were fruitless as his mobile number went unanswered.
Omar’s chief campaigning manager Knocks Mutsambwa could neither confirm nor deny the development, insisting that he was busy in the campaign trail.
“Mr Omar is busy with the campaigning at the moment, can you hold on to your questions and talk to him after the elections. All I can tell you is that we are already smelling victory,” said Mutsambwa.
Meanwhile, there has been outrage after Chombo, at a rally held after the closed-door briefing, urged traditional leaders to accompany their subjects to the polling station on election day.
“Kana uri mupostori musi we Saturday unofanira kutanga wando vhotera Omar wozoenda hako ku church….Musi woku vhota Sabhuku nevanhu vake handei mose mundovhota,” said Chombo.
At the same event, Mahofa also bragged that the opposition was barely present on the campaign trail.
“I have never heard about any rally that was conducted by the opposition in this area. Has anyone heard about any? Maybe they are operating from underground,” said Mahofa.
Meanwhile, eyebrows have been raised for the absence of the two Vice Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko from the campaign trail. In the Bikita West by-election, Mnangagwa and Mphoko went and addressed in support of the Zanu PF candidate Beauty Chabaya.politics,topnews