Zimbabwe: Sharp Divisions Between Mnangagwa, Chiwenga Over Zanu-PF DCCs
Sharp divisions have emerged in the Zanu PF presidium, pitting President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, over the remaining District Coordinating Committees (DCC) elections.
The ruling party is expected to hold DCC elections in eight
provinces except in Harare and Bulawayo. The two provinces have already
conducted the processes.
Zanu PF is reviving the DCCs, which were disbanded in 2012
after the party, then led by the now late President Robert Mugabe, disbanded
them on the strength the district structures were fomenting deep noxious
divisions and factionalism among the national party leadership.
The Politburo, Zanu PF's highest decision-making body
outside congress, has given the remaining eight provinces a two-week ultimatum
to complete the process of approving candidates for DCCs.
However, according to senior sources in the Politburo, the
decision has also created further tensions between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga over
the control of candidates into the influential district committees.
"The issue is the one who has control of the DCCs
ultimately has control of the party structures and can call the shots in party
and government. So the two (Mnangagwa and Chiwenga) are brawling seriously
through their proxies," a Politburo insider told NewZimbabwe.com Friday.
"There is trouble around the country, but Mashonaland
East, West and Manicaland provinces are the most troublesome."
In Mashonaland East, which is Chiwenga's home province as he
hails from Wedza, Apollonia Munzverengwi was Wednesday demoted from her
influential post as the national commissar in the Zanu PF Women's League to
deputy secretary for lands.
Munzverengwi who is the Mashonaland East Minister is
perceived as one of the ardent supporters of Chiwenga and was stands accused of
interfering with the DCC preparations in the province. A former assistant
commissioner in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), she also hails from
Chiwenga's Wedza rural home.
According to Zanu PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri
who heads the national disciplinary committee (NDC), the Women's League had
recommended Munzverengwi's dismissal for bringing the name of the party into
disrepute after her nude pictures went viral on social media platforms last
year.
Another ally of Chiwenga who saw the chop Wednesday is
controversial Chegutu West MP Dexter Nduna, a former Zimbabwe Air Force member,
who was removed as Mashonaland West vice provincial chairperson to be an
ordinary card-carrying member for one year. However, he remains an MP.
Nduna, according to the source, was sacked for interfering
with the selection of DCCs candidates and his constant clashes with Mashonaland
West chair, Ziyambi Ziyambi. Justice Minister Ziyambi is considered as a
Mnangagwa confidante.
The Politburo insider said the removal of Chiwenga's backers
had stocked further tensions between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga.
This forced the Politburo Wednesday to refer back to the
provinces, for vetting purposes, thousands of curriculum vitaes (CVs) the Zanu
PF national commissar Victor Matemadanda had turned up with for approval.
"He (Matemadanda) came to the meeting with volumes and
volumes of CVs for approval and it was decided that they should be taken back
to the provinces for vetting since they were too voluminous to be attended to
by the Politburo," the senior official said.
"So it will be the duty of the respective provincial
executive committees to deal with the CVs, although some members said there are
fears this could lead to some candidates being victimised or sidelined given
the intense fighting going on around the country over these positions,"
the source added.
"We, therefore, decided that should there be any
grievances arising from the process, the affected candidates should appeal to
the Politburo and the issues will be deliberated on. As you know this
restructuring period is always characterised by vicious fights as people seek
to compete for positions and also seek to sneak their friends in."
However, according to the source, Chiwenga's camp cannot
wait to take over from his superior, Mnangagwa, and want to use the DCC
structures to consolidate his power.
Comments
Post a Comment