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Row over minister’s Kwekwe visit

Politics
AN unannounced visit by Mines deputy minister Fred Moyo over the weekend has triggered a massive row and harsh exchange of words in the fractious Zanu PF

AN unannounced visit by Mines deputy minister Fred Moyo over the weekend has triggered a massive row and harsh exchange of words in the fractious Zanu PF party ahead of a provincial meeting to fill vacant executive posts.

BLESSED MHLANGA

Zanu PF Midlands provincial secretary for security Owen Ncube yesterday accused Moyo of abusing his ministerial post to campaign for the provincial vice-chairmanship after he addressed dozens of illegal gold panners and party supporters in Kwekwe’s Amaveni suburb without getting clearance from the party’s district leadership.

Ncube, a close ally of Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, told our Midlands Bureau that Moyo had shown that he had no respect for party structures. “It is worrying that a minister from Zanu PF would just address a meeting without informing party structures. That was a serious show of disrespect to Kwekwe district and a violation of party protocol,” Ncube said.

“We don’t behave like headless chickens in Zanu PF; we are guided by principles and are disciplined cardres. It is sad that when one gets appointed minister they want to abuse that position to get power illegitimately within the party,” Ncube charged.

However, Kwekwe Central MP Masango Matambanadzo yesterday absolved Moyo of any wrongdoing saying he had personally invited him to address illegal gold panners operating in the constituency.

“I have held several meetings with Moyo over gold panning in Kwekwe so as he was passing through, he called me and requested that we have an impromptu meeting with gold panners so that he gets the information first hand. This is why some party members were not informed,” Matambanadzo said.

Matambanadzo accused Ncube of being power hungry and greedy.

“Those people are greedy and power hungry. They think the party belongs to their families, but no, Zanu PF is for the people, for everyone and not this elitist group which is against development projects which I am championing to help the poor,” he said.