ZANU PF national political commissar Webster Shamu last weekend reportedly attacked Manicaland provincial chairman Mike Madiro accusing him of failing to maintain order in the provincial youth league before ejecting expelled youth leader Tawanda Mukodza from a workshop in Harare.
Report by Obey Manayiti
Informed party sources told NewsDay Shamu also dressed down Mukodza who had sneaked into the party commissariat workshop on Saturday. The workshop was attended by provincial chairpersons and political commissars of all party wings.
Although Shamu could not be reached for comment, Zanu PF secretary for youth affairs in the politburo Absolom Sikhosana confirmed the development and applauded Shamu for taking a “tough stance” against Mukodza.
“It’s true that it happened. The political commissar (Shamu) followed the party regulations and did the right thing to eject him (Mukodza),” Sikhosana said.
Asked why Mukodza kept masquerading as provincial youth leader despite his ouster, Sikhosana said: “You can ask him (Mukodza) on why he keeps on disrupting meetings. I am not in a position to comment on his behalf. He can answer for himself why he is defying party orders.”
Mukodza declined to comment on the matter.
According to sources who attended the workshop, both Mukodza and the new chairman Kelvin Manyengavana introduced themselves as provincial youth chairpersons for Manicaland, courting the ire of Shamu who immediately quizzed Madiro over why he had allowed Mukodza to attend.
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“After the introductions, Shamu asked Madiro why he brought two chairpersons for one position. Madiro couldn’t answer and the angry Shamu warned him that he should not cause confusion in the party,” another party source said.
“He further asked the two men (Mukodza and Manyengavana) to clarify their positions (and) that is when it was established that Mukodza had sneaked in. Again the angry Shamu openly dressed him down before ejecting Mukodza from the meeting.”
This is the second time that Mukodza has disrupted Zanu PF activities. He allegedly caused a stir recently at the party headquarters in Harare early this year after sneaking into another meeting.
The meeting nearly degenerated into a fist fight before security details were called to restore order.
Zanu PF leader President Robert Mugabe recently ordered Madiro, Mukodza and three other top provincial leaders to be probed by police following allegations that they extorted huge amounts of cash from diamond-mining firms in the province on behalf of the party, but converted the money to their own use.
The probe team, believed to be led by Chief Superintendent Chrispen Makedenge, is also following leads linking the officials to theft of cattle donations and farming inputs sourced under the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
