ED in fire-fighting mission
President emmerson Mnangagwa will this week preside over a five-day meeting of party structures in in a last minute effort to patch divisions following the party’s chaotic primary elections, a document gleaned by The Standard shows.
Mnangagwa last tuesday proclaimed August 23 as the date for harmonised elections where he will also be seeking re-election for a second full term.
it has been all systems go since the proclamation of the election date with Zanu PF rolling a series of meetings to try to unite the ruling party that was left nursing wounds of divisions and discontent following the primaries.
the elections were run by the shadowy Friends Association of Zimbabwe (FAZ), which has links with the Central intelligence Organisation.
FAZ was helped by Heritage trust, which is said to be run by the military.
Mnangagwa’s Midlands province has been the centre of internecine fights where ordinary Zanu PF members have been rejecting the party’s candidates in more than 10 constituencies following claims that they were imposed.
Zanu PF recently deployed secretary for security Lovemore Matuke to bring the warring party members to the negotiating table, but without success.
Ordinary party members including some sittings MPs who argue that they were cheated in the primaries have been pleading for an audience with Mnangagwa with sources saying a protest vote in his backyard cannot be ruled out.
A circular from the party’s commissariat department dated June 1 addressed to Zanu PF provincial chairpersons shows that Mnangagwa will be guest of honour at the high level mobilisation meeting in Gweru starting tomorrow.
According to circular 1 of 6/2023 by political commissar Mike Bimha, the workshop will be held under the theme: Building team Zanu PF for the 2023 Harmonised elections.
the workshop to be held at the Gweru Convention Centre until Friday is organised by the commissariat department and the Herbert Chitepo school of ideology.
“Pursuant to the implementation of the party's mass mobilisation campaign strategy, the commissariat department in conjunction with the Herbert Chitepo school of ideology and partners will hold a five day workshop at Gweru Convention Centre from June 5 to 9 2023,” part of the circular reads.
the circular was also copied to party vice president Kembo Mohadi, chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and secretary for administration Obert Mpofu.
“the target participants of this workshop are winning party candidates for the following categories: national Assembly, senatorial, women and youth quota,” Bimha said.
“the workshop will also be attended by all provincial chairpersons in the main wing, women's league, youth league and war veterans’ league.”
Bimha added: “in view of the above, provinces are being directed to invite the aforementioned party members.
“traveling will be on sunday, June 4, 2023.
“Logistics and the programme content for this workshop will be availed in due course.”
The Standard established that most aspiring candidates are failing to attract meaningful numbers to their rallies mainly in Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland, although the problem was countrywide.
Zanu PF has admitted party cohesion had been lost and expressed worry over the activities of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in the troubled areas.
Midlands provincial chairperson, Larry Mavima, was booed by party supporters at Chief Chireya’s homestead a fortnight ago by supporters where he had gone to introduce Gokwe-Chireya party candidate, torerai Moyo.
the situation has been tense in Masvingo, especially Gutu east where the winning candidate George Vhengere was disqualified in favour of Benjamin Ganyiwa who is believed to be related to the provincial heavy weight Matuke.
this publication is reliably informed that Mnangagwa's office has been receiving complaints from constituencies who are unhappy with the way the elections were handled by FAZ and Heritage trust.
Bimha’s workshop is also meant to orient new members, who won in the primaries and instruct provincial chairpersons to go and order losing candidates to back those who won.
“the idea is to dispatch the provincial chairpersons to go and talk to those who lost and mobilise them to support those winners so that the party goes into the elections intact,” a Zanu PF official disclosed.
Zanu PF says it is seeks five million votes to ensure Mnangagwa’s re-election for a second term while the CCC targets six million.