A FRESH outbreak of fierce intra-party clashes is today set to herald Zanu PF’s primary elections campaign amid fears the party’s bigwigs are likely to fall off the cliff and plunge the revolutionary party into further turmoil ahead of the impending general polls.
REPORT BY BRIAN MANGWENDE
The primaries, as has been the case with previous ones, are likely to trigger appeals from losing candidates.
But if they do not get any joy, this newspaper was told, they are likely to re-ignite the bhora musango (electoral sabotage) strategy which saw President Robert Mugabe lose to his archrival MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai in 2008.
However, there is certainly going to be blood and tears in 13 constituencies ahead of D-day on Monday when the primaries are expected to take place.
Some candidates aspiring to represent the party in the general elections, whose date is yet to be announced, have been on the ground campaigning way before they were sanctioned by the party.
Interesting to watch would be the battle for the Bulilima Mangwe senatorial seat where Zanu PF big guns, national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo and Richard Ndlovu face off. Both are politburo members.
In Mberengwa, former Midlands governor and Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa’s loyalist July Moyo takes off his gloves against party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, while Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa is being challenged by Arda chairman Basil Nyabadza.
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In Zvimba North, Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo faces President Robert Mugabe’s relative, Edwin Matibiri after the politburo member’s ex-wife Marian was disqualified.
In Mbare, politburo member Tendai Savanhu squares off with Nelson Mashiri while Information minister and political commissar Webster Shamu battles it out with Mashonaland West provincial chairman John Mafa to represent the party in Chegutu East.
Secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, who has had several fights with the Manicaland provincial leadership, is being challenged by women’s affairs ministry director Christopher Chingosho.
Mutasa is said to have failed severally to shrug Chingosho off by claiming he was too junior to contest him. He was said to have attempted to make a last ditch attempt yesterday to the politburo to get Chingosho off his back, but without success.
Mashonaland East chairman and former legislator for Mudzi East Ray Kaukonde has set his eyes on Marondera Central against Jerry Gotora while Agriculture minister Joseph Made once again faces stiff competition from former CIO-operative- turned-car-dealer Nation Madongorere
