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Divisions rock Zanu PF as Manyika held hostage
By
Farirai Machivenyika
ZANU PF's political commissar Elliot Manyika was briefly barricaded
within his offices at the Zanu PF headquarters on Tuesday as tempers
flared over the imposition of candidates for primary elections
slated for January 15.
The protesters barred Manyika from leaving the party’s premises along Rotten Row.
Nomination of candidates for the primary elections took place on Sunday, with some prominent people failing to make the grade because of stringent guidelines set by the ruling party last week.
The guidelines stated that only members of the provincial executives, national consultative assembly and the central committee were eligible to participate in the primary polls. Incumbent members who did not meet the above criteria and had no disciplinary cases against them were also eligible to stand.
A card-carrying member, who is known as a fervent, consistent and active supporter of the party and party’s aims and objectives but had earlier been prevented from holding a position in any of the structures of the party by virtue of his/her employment in the service of the State, was also eligible after a waiver by the Zanu PF elections directorate.
Among those who were not nominated were Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Finance Minister Chris Kuruneri (currently in remand prison on allegations for externalization of foreign currency), Chinhoyi MP Phillip Chiyangwa, war veterans’ leader Joseph Chinotimba and former local government Deputy Minister Tony Gara.
Yesterday, the angry ruling party activists, drawn mainly from Mbare, Glen Norah, Hatfield and Mutoko North, Mashonaland East, alleged that during the nominations, some candidates were imposed, while others were unfairly sidelined.
The supporters formed a human wall at the main gate and blocked Manyika from leaving the party’s headquarters, insisting he must address them on the criteria used to select candidates for the primaries, and why some people were said to have been accepted unopposed.
Manyika, who is the chairperson of the ruling party’s national election directorate, left only after he addressed the supporters.
| "We want you to explain how Midzi was chosen without anyone voting for him. If the situation is not addressed then his wife and children are the only ones who will vote for him" |
| WOMAN PROTESTER |
“Comrades, I am actually going to see the national chairman (John Nkomo) on the issue and I will be back. I am not running away and my office is open for all of you to come and air your grievances,” he said.
Manyika also said he had received complaints from other constituencies countrywide and made a commitment to provide further details after his meeting with Nkomo.
Harare province unanimously elected Minister of Mines and Mining Development Amos Midzi to stand for Hatfield/Epworth constituencies, Tendai Savanhu for Mbare and Cleveria Chizema for Glen Norah, unopposed.
Deputy Finance Minister David Chapfika retained his candidature for Mutoko North.
Gara and Chinotimba were interested in Mbare and Glen Norah, while Irene Zindi was eyeing Hatfield/Epworth constituency.
“We want you to explain how Midzi was chosen without anyone voting for him. If the situation is not addressed then his wife and children are the only ones who will vote for him in the March elections. You surely cannot do without our support,” fumed one woman during the commotion that occurred at the gates.
Another woman who claimed she had come all the way from Mutoko to air her views, accused Chapfika of doing nothing during his tenure, saying it was astonishing that he was chosen unanimously.
Mutoko bus operator Hillary Simbarashe has been campaigning in Mutoko North and was only left out after he failed to meet the requirements set out by the party’s national commissariat.
Chinotimba and Gara were disqualified after a vote of no-confidence was passed on them by their province for the roles they allegedly played during the Tsholotsho fiasco.
Controversy also shrouds the nomination of Ignatius Chombo, the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing unopposed, to stand for Zvimba North, over the weekend.
Acting Mashonaland West Provincial chairman, John Mafa yesterday said Chombo had not submitted his CV for vetting over the weekend, adding that the decision for him to stand was made by the Zvimba District Coordinating Committee in September last year.
However, when contacted for comment, Zvimba DCC chairperson Chipo Dyanda said: “Minister Chombo gave me his CV for submission before Christmas, and I submitted it.”
Meanwhile, the Zanu PF Women’s League held an emergency meeting to receive reports on the deliberations that took place over the weekend, although it emerged that they only got 36 seats, four seats short of the quota they were allocated.
The ruling party reserved one-third of the 120 constituencies for women, meaning they were supposed to get 40 seats. Oppah Muchinguri, the secretary for the Women’s League noted the anomaly, but played it down, saying they would get the seats from other constituencies that would be contested by both men and women.
“We are hoping to get the few remaining seats from the other constituencies and I am sure we will get them. But you have to know this is just the beginning,” she said.
Pressed on how they
hoped to achieve it, she said: “I cannot divulge that at the moment,
but we will get them.”
Daily Mirror
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