‘Factionalism affected BVR’

THE G40 cabal’s succession ambitions and jostling for political positions in the ruling Zanu-PF affected the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) blitz as key organs of the party slackened on mobilising the grassroots to register.

This was said by the party’s deputy national political commissar Cde Omega Hungwe during a Zanu-PF commissariat meeting held in Mutare last week.

Cde Hungwe said this was likely to affect aspiring Members of Parliament the most, as very few people registered to vote during the blitz.

Statistics from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, she said, indicated that many people had not yet been registered.

“Aspiring MPs in rural areas should not celebrate, as the BVR exercise was not that successful,” she said.

“It never went on well because there was an issue of succession and no one ever thought of mobilising people to register, as they were busy jostling for positions. They never bothered to go on the ground and mobilise to register.”

Cde Hungwe challenged Zanu-PF leadership to mobilise people to register as voters during the forthcoming elections.

“Let us take this opportunity as a party to make sure that our people, as Zanu-PF, are registered to vote,” she said.

“The chairman and the entire leadership should mobilise people. It is not the duty of an MP to mobilise people, but of the leadership to urge Zanu-PF members to register as voters. The MP will only come in to assist.”

Cde Hungwe said Zanu-PF was planning to hold primary elections a month before the national vote, saying aspiring candidates should not start campaigning now.

The party, she said, will officially announce when aspiring candidates could start campaigning.

She added that the party has been characterised by tensions and fissures.

“If we ask those in positions today, we will notice that there is no one who was voted into those positions,” said Cde Hungwe.

Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial chairman Cde Mike Madiro urged party members to stop jostling for positions.

He said no one would be guaranteed a position within the party without having first worked hard for the revolutionary party.

“I know there is a lot of pushing and shoving for positions within the party,” he said.

“Let me tell you that no one will be guaranteed of a position without working for the party first.

“Those who would have worked hard for the party, I assure you that no one will stand in your way. We will not impose candidates.”

Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Senator Monica Mutsvangwa promised to work with all party members to ensure victory for the revolutionary party.