Warring Zanu PF factions gang up against Madiro

THE battle to control Zanu PF in Manicaland province took a new twist yesterday after two contesting candidates joined forces to fight provincial chairman Mike Madiro.

Makoni district co-ordination committee (DCC) chairperson Albert Nyakuedzwa and Chipinge South MP Enock Porusingazi yesterday teamed up during an inter-district development meeting for Makoni which was held in Rusape and vowed to unite the party against the incumbent chairman.

The meeting was held in Rusape and was attended by most of the party’s eight district leaders.

Zanu PF is set to conduct provincial elections after its annual conference which began in Bindura on Tuesday.

As the two joined hands, there was pomp and fanfare.

The meeting was also attended by Nyanga North MP Chido Sanyatwe (Zanu PF), who is tipped to win the provincial women’s league top post. She will compete with Happiness Nyakuedzwa.

Mutare DCC secretary for youth affairs Danmore Mambondiyani, who intends to contest for the provincial chairmanship, also attended the meeting.

In his address to the gathering yesterday, Nyakuedzwa said he was working with Porusingazi.

“We sat down with our adviser Porusingazi and decided to come up with a decision to save the party. We realised that in previous elections, President Emmerson Mnangagwa lost to the opposition in the province.

“We realised that we need to protect the party, and we came up with a decision that Makoni district should take the chairmanship post, which must be

rotated after every five years. After Makoni, the chairmanship will then go to Porusingazi in Chipinge,” Nyakuedzwa said.

Porusingazi said they decided to unite to save the province.

“We united to save the province because Zanu PF is greater than an individual. I know there are people who were supporting me, but I am saying I am now united with Nyakuedzwa. No one intimidated me into doing so. Manicaland should be the best in terms of support,” Porusingazi said.

South African-based Zanu PF member Fungai Murisa said he came to witness the re-union.

“I want to thank Honourable Porusingazi for showing mature politics to reunite the province. This is going to help the province to achieve its five million votes in 2023 elections,” he said.

Recently, party members demonstrated against Madiro, accusing him of imposing candidates in the just-ended elections. This forced politburo members to visit Mutare to calm the volatile situation.