War vets want First Lady as VP
ZANU-PF Midlands province has recommended the immediate expulsion of seven senior members and suspension of numerous members while the Women’s League leadership in Bulawayo has called for the expulsion of nine provincial members over their links to axed former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
War veterans in Matabeleland and Midlands have also endorsed the expulsions and upheld a decision by the provinces to elevate the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe, to the VP post.
In Bulawayo, the nine members who have been recommended for expulsion are chairlady Eva Bitu, her deputy Rejoice Sibanda, secretary for transport Nokuthula Sibanda, secretary for science and technology Thabitha Mguni, secretary of lands Josephine Danda, committee member Debora Sibanda, deputy secretary for production Mollin Dube, deputy secretary for security Constance Dube and deputy secretary for indigenisation Girly Dube.
All 10 provinces have now endorsed the sacking of Cde Mnangagwa and the elevation of the First Lady.
For the Midlands party members resolved to axe former VP Mnangagwa’s wife Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa and Cdes July Moyo (politburo member), Owen Ncube (Secretary for Security), Cornelius Mpereri (Secretary for Information), his brother, Cde Isheunesu Mpereri (Member of Parliament for Mbizo), Mayor Justice Wadyajena (Secretary for Youths) and Goodwill Shiri (Deputy Provincial Chairman).
Among other notable names listed for suspension are Professor Paul Mavima (Gokwe), Cdes; Elina Shirichena (provincial Women’s League), Melania Mahiya (Gokwe North), Tinashe Shumba (Mberengwa) and Larry Mavima (Zvishavane).
The acting Zanu-PF Women’s League chairperson in Bulawayo, Cde Lydia Khumalo, announced the expulsions yesterday at the provincial headquarters Davies Hall.
She said as women they cannot continue working with people who are against the party’s programmes.
“We can’t continue working with the mentioned characters and as we head towards the Special Congress we need to re-align ourselves as a wing. We need to move ahead as a united wing. We’re going to replace them as soon as possible,” said Cde Khumalo.
She said the wing’s provincial executive was fully behind the sacking of Vice President Mnangagwa as his infiltration of party structures had made it impossible for women to work together.
“As a Women’s League in Bulawayo we endorse the elevation of Dr Grace Mugabe to take up the VP position which was occupied by Mnangagwa. We also affirm President Mugabe as the sole presidential candidate for the 2018 harmonised elections,” said Cde Khumalo.
She said the province wished to apologise to the First Family for the incident at White City Stadium during the Presidential Youth Interface Rally on Saturday where misguided elements heckled the First Lady. Cde Khumalo said the Women’s League in the province had nothing to do with the weekend’s events.
At an explosive meeting in the Midlands where Cde Mnangagwa hails, two rowdy youths from Kwekwe, Cde Mnangagwa’s home city, were arrested after they tried to disrupt the proceedings.
The Midlands was the only province still to endorse the decision by the President to relieve the former VP from his Government duties for acting inconsistently with his official duties.
It emerged that there could be more expulsions and suspensions in the structures in coming days.
The meeting, which was chaired by the Provincial Secretary for Finance, Cde John Holder, was convened at the party’s State-of-theart Conference Centre along the Gweru-Mvuma Highway.
Hordes of party supporters waved placards with messages of solidarity with President Mugabe and the First Lady while toyi-toying around the venue.
Police in anti-riot gear had to be called to restore order as the crowd threatened to beat up people perceived to be aligned to the former VP.
“The Midlands has been liberated! We want to deal with Garwe and its followers (Cde Mnangagwa’s totem). Thank you President (Mugabe) for liberating the Midlands,” some chanted.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Cde Makhosini Hlongwane, who is also the provincial commissar, called for calm, adding that the province should be united ahead of the party congress and elections.
He said those who were lost should toe the line and support President Mugabe and the party.
“We need to calm down, we know there have been tensions but we thank President Mugabe for bringing back unity. We should support President Mugabe, the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe and the party, nothing else. Those who were lost should know this. We thank the President for liberating the province especially Kwekwe,” he said amid applause.
Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs Cde Jason Machaya, who also addressed the gathering, said people should desist from supporting people with factional agendas.
Meanwhile, war veterans in the provinces endorsed the expulsions and suspensions.
At a meeting held yesterday in Gwanda, war veterans in Matabeleland South recommended the expulsion of 40 party members and members of the Matabeleland South provincial war veterans’ association.
The war veterans’ provincial chairman, Cde Eyer Moyo, said there was a need to urgently eliminate Cde Mnangagwa’s sympathisers from party structures.
On Tuesday, the province recommended the axing of 15 members including State Security Minister Cde Kembo Mohadi and Home Affairs Deputy Minister Cde Obedingwa Mguni over allegations of colluding with Cde Mnangagwa.
President Mugabe on Monday fired Cde Mnangagwa over allegations of, among other things, disloyalty, disrespect, deceit and unreliability.
War veterans in Bulawayo have also endorsed the decision to appoint Dr Mugabe as the party and country’s Vice President.
The war veterans made the following a meeting at Davies Hall.
They thanked President Mugabe for expelling Mnangagwa who is accused of dividing the party. resolution