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NewsDay

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Zanu PF hawks bay for Machaya blood

Politics
Political hawks allegedly aligned to a Zanu PF faction are reportedly not relenting on efforts to oust Midlands Governor and Resident Minister Jason Machaya from the provincial party chairperson’s post over allegations he has joined a rival faction. Sources within the party provincial executive told NewsDay the hawks were pushing for a resolution which would […]

Political hawks allegedly aligned to a Zanu PF faction are reportedly not relenting on efforts to oust Midlands Governor and Resident Minister Jason Machaya from the provincial party chairperson’s post over allegations he has joined a rival faction.

Sources within the party provincial executive told NewsDay the hawks were pushing for a resolution which would see a separation of powers in Midlands. This will entail a governor should not double as party chairperson as this would affect party activities.

“Those who view Machaya as a sell-out have advanced the issue of separation of power among a litany of issues in a bid to oust him from his position as chairman. They say he has neglected the party over government business and as a result the party has lost ground,” said a source, who refused to be named.

A provincial executive meeting had been planned over the weekend to deal with the Machaya matter. The governor is also at the centre of the storm, following allegations that his son Farayi, took part in the murder of an MDC-T activist, Moses Chokuda of Gokwe, whose body has been lying in a mortuary since March 2009.

The deceased’s parents are reportedly refusing to bury him, demanding compensation first.

Sources said the resolution to separate the governorship from the chairmanship was likely to be passed because most provincial executive members were aligned to a faction headed by a party bigwig who is viewed as the province’s political godfather.

“They all know what has happened to those who have crossed his path. They are all now in the political dustbin,” said a source.

According to insiders, if the plan works, July Moyo was likely to bounce back to the post of party chairman.

Moyo was forced to leave the chairmanship in 2005 following the ill-fated meeting in Tsholotsho, now popularly known as the Tsholotsho Declaration.

Contacted for comment, Machaya said he was unaware of any moves to topple him from power adding there were no factions in Zanu PF.