ZANU PF politburo member Obert Mpofu on Saturday said party members in Matabeleland North province would have made a monumental blunder if they had voted Patrick Utete as provincial chairman, claiming the latter went on record attributing the party’s defeat in the last election to its ageing leader, President Robert Mugabe.
Report by Nduduzo Tshuma Staff Reporter
Utete, who is the party’s provincial treasurer, withdrew from the election for a substantive provincial chairperson as he was trailing the only other candidate Richard Moyo by a wide margin. Moyo was eventually declared the winner.
Addressing supporters during the party’s provincial co-ordinating committee meeting in Lupane on Saturday, Mpofu — who is also Mines and Mining Development minister — lashed out at senior party leaders who backed Utete, describing them as anti-Zanu PF.
Mpofu’s sentiments are believed to have been directed at Matabeleland North Governor Thokozile Mathuthu who reportedly told Hwange party members not to vote for Moyo, but to rally behind Utete.
Utete was last year suspended by the party for allegedly saying the people in Hwange were not in support of Mugabe.
“Let us tell the truth, the problem is that we want to please each other with lies. I was not here because I did not want to be involved and luckily I was out of the country. If you are a leader, you have to be honest,” said Mpofu.
“Why would you say you support Utete when he insulted the President in front of all of you here? Utete said we were losing elections because of the President. Utete is not a member of Zanu PF. Today you want to pretend as if you don’t know,” said Mpofu.
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“Everyone who supported Utete is not a member of Zanu PF and you are anti-President Mugabe. People are not foolish. That is why he lost the way he did. In the next elections, some of you provincial members you won’t get into the structures. If he (Utete) had won, I would not have set foot at this meeting.”
He attacked some party officials for withholding party regalia instead of distributing to supporters. Utete could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print last night.
