THE worsening fissures in Zanu PF have spread to Masvingo with provincial political commissar Trainos Huruva writing to national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo pleading for the dissolution of the provincial leadership for “resisting to cooperate” with Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
Report by Everson Mushava
Mujuru and Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa allegedly lead rival factions battling to succeed the 89-year-old President Robert Mugabe as president and first secretary of Zanu PF. The factionalism is threatening to disintegrate the party ahead of crucial polls later this year.
In the damning letter to Khaya Moyo dated May 6 seen by NewsDay, Huruva alleged that Masvingo provincial chairperson Lovemore Matuke was “resisting to co-operate with VP (Mujuru)’s views on the province’s new direction”.
The cracks in Masvingo surfaced amid reports that Mujuru was escalating her bid to succeed Mugabe when she last week cut short her visit to Dubai and returned home to attend a crucial emergency politburo meeting on Friday to craft Zanu PF primary elections guidelines. Before Masvingo, Mutare and Bulawayo were rocked by massive factionalism pitting the two bitter factions.
The party had to dissolve provincial executives in Manicaland and Bulawayo and appoint new leaders.
“I am writing to inform you that Masvingo province is ready to receive you (Khaya Moyo) this Friday the 10th of May 2013,” reads Huruva’s letter.
“As the political commissar of the province, I strongly recommend that you come and lay the groundwork for an immediate change in leadership of Masvingo Zanu PF provincial executive in line with the agreed roadmap. Matuke, the current chairperson of the province, is resisting to co-operate with the VPs views on the province’s new direction. Let us know if there are any other areas that you would want us to deal with before your arrival in Masvingo.”
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Yesterday, the Chivi North MP, Huruva, who is linked to the Mujuru faction, admitted that Khaya Moyo and his Zanu PF team would visit the province soon, but denied authoring the letter to the national chairperson. He insisted party correspondence comes from Matuke.
“I don’t write letters. I am a political commissar. The chairman is the one who writes. I just hear the probe team is coming, but there is no confirmation on the date yet,” Huruva said. Matuke said he heard about the letter written by Huruva, but was not in the picture on Khaya Moyo’s visit to the province.
“I was away and I know nothing about the visit,” Matuke said.
On allegations that he was not co-operating with Mujuru, Matuke said: “President Mugabe is our only candidate in the forthcoming elections,” he said. “I cannot do anything except supporting him. That is my focus now.”
Meanwhile, impeccable sources told NewsDay that Mujuru rushed home from Africa Global Business Forum in Dubai last week to attend the Friday politburo meeting and fight in the corner of her faction.
Sylvester Nguni, the Minister of State in Mujuru’s office, on Friday had to read the vice-president’s speech in Dubai on her behalf after she left in huff for Harare. Nguni on Monday confirmed to NewsDay reading the speech, before asking for questions in writing. Mujuru, according to sources, was initially pencilled to return on Saturday.
