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NewsDay

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Zanu PF Masvingo wars intensify

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ZANU PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo’s three-member probe team is likely to face fierce resistance during its visit to the fractious Masvingo province

ZANU PF national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo’s three-member probe team is likely to face fierce resistance during its visit to the fractious Masvingo province this week amid allegations that the provincial coordinating committee (PCC) met over the weekend and resolved to resist any attempts to dissolve the executive.

Report by Everson Mushava

Party insiders said the PCC met in Masvingo on Saturday at Chiefs Hall for about four hours where members openly threatened to resist any move by the probe team to dissolve the Lovemore Matuke-led provincial executive which is accused of fanning factionalism.

The PCC comprises the party’s politburo, central committee, national consultative assembly, provincial and district executive members and representatives of the war veterans association.

The probe team’s visit follows a leaked letter allegedly authored by provincial political commissar Tranos Huruva calling for the disbandment of the provincial executive on grounds that it was opposed to Vice-President Joice Mujuru camp.

Huruva has, however, distanced himself from the letter.

Mujuru is reportedly leading a faction battling with another allegedly led by Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa in the race to succeed Mugabe, who turns 90 next February.

Although Matuke was not responding to calls to confirm the meeting yesterday, sources told NewsDay former Masvingo governor Josiah Hungwe, who is believed to be the leader of the Mnangagwa faction in the province, openly challenged the intended visit, describing it as a plot to disband the executive saying the province was capable of handling its own affairs.

“Huruva was lampooned for calling for the disbanding of the executive although he denied authoring the letter,” the source said.

“Samuel Mumbengegwi (former Finance minister) was also attacked for defending the Khaya Moyo visit to the province. Members felt the dissolution of the executive would cost the party in the forthcoming elections in the same manner the change of guard before the March 2008 general polls did.

“The members furiously accused the Khaya Moyo-led team of having a selfish mission to destroy President Mugabe,” the source added.

Mugabe’s party was in March forced to unleash the Khaya Moyo-led team to provinces as infighting fuelled by the race to succeed Mugabe escalated. The third member of the team is national commissar Webster Shamu.

However, party insiders said the Mnangagwa faction now believed the probe team was purging all provincial executives sympathetic to the Defence minister in a bid to prop up Mujuru.

Both Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo and secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa have refuted allegations that the Khaya Moyo team was on a restructuring exercise or targeting a particular faction.