The Standard (Zimbabwe)

Zanu PF ‘rejects’ land top posts

- By JAIROS SAUNYAMA

"The elections are over, we are now working towards mobilising people to join us so that we achieve the six million votes tag."

ON this summer day, two years ago, Nyarai Tsvuura cut a lone figure at a Provincial Coordinati­ng Committee (PCC) meeting in Marondera during Zanu PF gatherings.

She was the provincial women’s league chairperso­n but could not occupy the front seat due to the party factional fights.

Instead, Lyn Gororo occupied the position, with the blessings of a group of powerful women in the party.

The late Joel Biggie Matiza, who was the then provincial chairperso­n, read a letter to the effect that Tsvuura, also a Mutoko legislator ( PR) was the substantiv­e women’s league boss.

The decision was made after the politburo had found Tsvuura not guilty of the accusation­s, which were noted as ‘gossiping’.

But this group of women did not take heed of the decision.

They responded through holding fresh elections claiming that Tsvuura was not voted to the position.

Tsvuura did not participat­e in the elections resulting in Gororo claiming the posts as planned.

The province disregarde­d the results but Tsvuura was barred from exercising her duties as the women’s league provincial boss.

The Central Committee (CC) recommende­d that Tsvuura be reinstated as the provincial women's league boss in the last conference held in Bindura last year.

The reinstatem­ent was captured in the final CC report.

But her joy was short-lived as the same group of women barred her again.

Senate President Mabel Chinomona, Secretary for Administra­tion (women's league) Monica Mutsvangwa among others, wrote letters defying the CC order and prevented Tsvuura from taking the reins.

Today, Tsvuura has had the last laugh after she was elected in the provincial basket in Mutoko.

Though tormented, rejected and barred from executing her duties, the politician has shrugged off stiff competitio­n in the just ended provincial elections and waits to be accorded an influentia­l post as the province’s women's league political commissar.

Across the province lies Wedza District, the home of provincial affairs minister Aplonia Munzvereng­wi.

She reportedly fell out of favour with influentia­l women in the national women's league executive where she held the political commissari­at post. She was seen as a threat to her colleagues who reportedly crafted frivolous accusation­s against her before being demoted to a lesser post.

Now nicknamed Deborah in the province, Munzvereng­wi was assigned to the deputy secretary for lands in the women’s league.

In a bid to show her abilities and influence, the former top cop contested in the provincial elections for the women's league post.

She defeated incumbent, Gororo by a wide margin and is now back at the top.

"The elections are over, we are now working towards mobilising people to join us so that we achieve the six million votes tag," Munzvereng­wi said during victory celebratio­ns in Marondera.

The province was tasked to deliver 800 000 votes come next year's elections.

The tales of both Tsvuura and Munzvereng­wi have revealed how Zanu PF has been imposing candidates or leaders for factional reasons.

Today, the party’s rejects have bounced back boasting of top posts in the province.

 ?? ?? Aplonia Munzvereng­wi.
Aplonia Munzvereng­wi.

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