Zanu-PF warns against electioneering

expected to digest the matter at its meeting tomorrow and come up with corrective measures.
President Mugabe is yet to announce the poll dates, but the Head of State and Government and Commander in Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces has indicated elections will be held this year.
Cde Gumbo said early campaigns by aspiring candidates had caused tension and the matter had since been discussed at high levels of the party.
There was consensus that such behaviour was divisive and tantamount to indiscipline.
Some aspiring Zanu-PF candidates have been soliciting for votes ever since President Mugabe said there would be elections this year.
Such candidates have been visiting constituencies making donations ranging from grain, seed maize, fertilisers and school fees even in constituencies under Zanu-PF legislators in a bid to win the hearts of the electorate.
“We are deeply concerned by such developments. The position of the party is very clear. We have not yet started campaigning as there has to be a formal declaration announcing the election dates,” Cde Gumbo said.
He said campaigns by interested individuals should only begin after President Mugabe has made such a declaration.
“They are irresponsible and indisciplined people who are running around campaigning without the authority of the party. These people are creating divisions, conflicts and misunderstanding,” Cde Gumbo said.
He said some individuals who contested the 2008 harmonised elections either as independent candidates or under the Dr Simba Makoni’s Mavambo/Kusile banner were “sneaking back” into the party and were soliciting for support creating confusion in provinces like Midlands.
“For example, in the Midlands province, Mberengwa in particular, there are people who are not even members of the party but are masquerading as political commissars,” Cde Gumbo said.
He gave an example of Mr Godwills Shiri who reportedly stood as an independent candidate in the 2005 elections but was now back in the party “illegally”.
“He expelled himself from the party the moment he contested elections as an independent candidate and has to reapply for him to be reconsidered but he was elected into the District Co-ordinating Committee’s structures recently as secretary for information and publicity. He is now masquerading as the political commissar there without authority from the party headquarters,” Cde Gumbo said.
He said there were similar cases in Gokwe and Mashonaland West.