Statement issued by Charamba only official stance: Moyo

Harare Bureau
INFORMATION, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo yesterday said the directive issued by President Mugabe through his spokesperson Mr George Charamba as reported in Thursday’s edition of the Chronicle is the only official position regarding the status of results of Zanu-PF elections in Mashonaland Central.

Prof Moyo said in a statement in response to media inquiries on the matter after a story published by NewsDay suggested Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo had contradicted President Mugabe’s directive.

“The ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services has noted with grave concern reports carried today (yesterday) by some sections of the media (for example today’s lead story in NewsDay) to the effect that Cde Rugare Gumbo, Zanu-PF secretary for Information, yesterday challenged and contradicted instruction given by His Excellency President Mugabe to the permanent secretary in the ministry, Cde George Charamba, to advise the media about the status of the results of the Zanu-PF elections for the provincial executive of Mashonaland Central,” Prof Moyo said.

He added that because Cde Charamba is away with the President on his official visit to Asia, the ministry had to clarify the matter.
“In the first place the ministry is unable to confirm that the unfortunate and insubordinate statement attributed to Cde Gumbo by NewsDay is in fact accurate.

“However, and for the record, the President’s directive as conveyed through Cde Charamba and reported by yesterday’s Chronicle (Thursday November 14, 2013) is the correct and only official position regarding the status of the results of the Zanu-PF elections for the provincial executive in Mashonaland Central. There can be no executive authority in Zanu-PF higher than the party’s President and First Secretary. Any suggestion or claim to the contrary is mischievous to the extreme,” he said.

Professor Moyo said the position on the matter remained as reported by The Chronicle.

“As such and for the avoidance of doubt, the only position that still stands on the matter in question is what Cde Charamba told the media as reported by the Chronicle, yesterday, as follows “tell the media that I (the President) have told you (Cde Charamba) that the Politburo has not yet received results from Mashonaland Central province. Equally the Politburo is still to receive a report which accompanies the same.”

“It is only when the Politburo has been favoured with both the results and the accompanying report that it will then be in a position to study both before taking a decision. This is the official position as directed by the President and it has not changed,” Prof Moyo said.

Allegations of irregularities plagued Zanu-PF elections in the province where incumbent chairman Cde Dickson Mafios was challenged by Cde Luke Mushore.

Voting was supposed to be conducted in one day last Saturday and was extended to Sunday but six districts failed to vote.

The outstanding districts were Mt Darwin East, Chimanja, Guruve, Kemutamba and Nyahunzvi A and Nyahunzvi; Mazowe South and North, Eskbank and Galloway when Cde Mushore was unofficially declared the winner.

Elections in Manicaland and the Midlands provinces where Cdes John Mvundura and Jason Machaya were declared winners over Cdes Monica Mutsvangwa and Larry Mavhima were also marred by irregularities.

The Midlands result has since been challenged on grounds that several districts did not vote and a final decision is still pending.
In light of the contested outcomes in Manicaland and Midlands provinces, the Zanu-PF leadership has been debating whether to set aside both results and start afresh, or accept the results of the two provinces and insist that elections in the remaining seven provinces be done in line with the party’s electoral rules and guidelines that stipulate that elections be conducted and concluded within one day.

The Zanu-PF constitution does not provide for the staggering of elections which must be done simultaneously within set time frames and on the basis of verified membership registers although this has not been adhered to as the three provinces that have voted so far have had staggered elections.

Elections in the three provinces have also been beset by failure by way of party registers, deployment of voting material, composition of supervisory teams, and communication of results, all of which need to be straightened out before the remaining seven provinces vote.