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TOP Zanu-PF leaders in Manicaland among them Cdes Didymus Mutasa, Munacho Mutezo, Fred Kanzama, Mike Nyambuya, Irene Zindi and John Chirimambowa were rejected by the electorate during the Central Committee elections held on Monday. Politburo members Cdes Mutasa and Mutezo suffered the most humiliation after polling the least number of votes in their respective districts. Cde Mutasa had the least number of votes in Makoni where he polled 85 votes, which were 56 shy of the fourth placed candidate, Cde Mandi Chimene, who polled 141. Other candidates to grab Central Committee seats in Makoni were Cdes Florence Majachani (169 votes), Dr Joseph Made (163 votes) and Patrick Chinamasa (177 votes).
Cde Mutasa was nowhere near the polling station. In Chimanimani, Cde Mutezo, who earlier on had witnessed a mini-demonstration against him with war veterans and some party supporters trying to bar him from contesting the elections because of his alleged involvement in the regime-change agenda, fared badly in the election.
The Chimanimani West legislator polled the least number of votes, with a paltry 39 votes. Former national youth executive member Cde Joshua Sacco made it into the Central Committee after 59 people voted for him, while little known Cde Esther Chikuni had the highest numbers of voters in Chimanimani after amassing 61 votes.
Cde Mutezo had to leave in a huff before the election results were announced.
While Cdes Kanzama and Chirimambowa had sailed through, their election was rejected by all wings of the party during a provincial co-ordination committee meeting held at Mutare Polytechnic on Tuesday.
Cde Kanzama, who was in attendance, was accused of being among the kingpins of the VP Mujuru faction, while Cde Chirimambowa was said to be suspended Zanu-PF legislator for Chipinge South and Cde Enock Porusingazi’s blue-eyed boy.
Raising the objection against Cde Chirimambowa’s election, provincial youth chairman Cde Kelvin Manyengavana said: “Youths are not happy with the ascendency of Cde Chirimambowa because he was heavily involved with the gamatox. Youths are saying he cannot proceed to be a Central Committee member. We are the vanguard of the party and we will not allow people who undermine the First Family to have positions of influence in the party.
“If you stand in the way of President Mugabe, we will remove you.”
The same motion was seconded by both the women’s league and the main wing.
Deputy youth chairman Cde Mubuso Chinguno later moved a motion against the election of Cde Kanzama and said: “As youth league we also agreed that Cde Kanzama should also be removed among the elected candidates for Zimunya-Marange because by having Kanzama among our midst we would have done nothing as he is one of the gamatox kingpins.”
Acting women’s league chairperson Cde Happiness Nyakuedzwa concurred and said: “If we booted former provincial chairman (Ambassador John Mvundura) and leave Kanzama behind we did not solve anything as the two are very close and will continue causing mayhem.”
Both Cdes Kanzama and Chirimambowa were ejected from the meeting.
Cdes Kanzama and Chirimambowa were replaced by Cdes Moton Malianga and Alice Chitima respectively.
With the youths leading the campaign against the ouster of all those aligned to the Mujuru faction, they said the candidatures of former Minister of Energy and Power Development Cde Nyambuya and Mutasa South legislator Cde Zindi should also be reversed because the two participated in the unsanctioned Herbert Mine meeting which was addressed by ousted war veteran leader Cde Jabulani Sithole.
The youths argued that the Herbert Mine meeting was a factional gathering meant to undermine the authority of President Mugabe and was also used by Cde Sibanda to issue threats of marching to State House.
The two were also rejected by supporters in Mutasa on Tuesday after they refused to participate in the election until their chosen candidate and Mutasa North candidate, Cde Luke Masamvu, was allowed to contest.
Cde Masamvu, who is also a Manicaland provincial executive member, was rejected by the Politburo arguing that he had not served the party as a provincial member for five years.
The Electoral College in Mutasa seconded the candidature of Cde Victoria Chitepo and rejected Cdes Zindi, Nyambuya and Tendai Samanga.
The Tuesday meeting agreed to forward the matter to the Politburo for guidance.
The same meeting held at Mutare Polytechnic resolved to suspend the party’s provincial administrator, Nelia Maenda, for pursuing a factional agenda.
Online Reporter