ZANU PF has threatened to investigate and punish wayward politburo and central committee members implicated in vote-buying ahead of the Youth League conference and this week’s Women’s League indaba.
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The probe came at a time the party was in disarray as senior officials were reportedly jostling for positions ahead of the Zanu PF elective congress in December.
Party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said a post-mortem of the Youth League and Women’s League conferences would be instituted and errant party members dealt with. “If it is proven [vote-buying] the party will take action, but I don’t know whether there is evidence to that effect,” Gumbo said.
“Yes, we will have a post-mortem of the Women’s League and Youth League conferences and errant people, if any, will have action taken against them.
“The party has methods of handling issues of that nature. There are rules and regulations of dealing with people found errant.”
Zanu PF leader President Robert Mugabe over the weekend burst out in anger describing top party officials involved in vote-buying as “prostitutes and rubbish”.
Among the people suspected of using money to bribe the youths were Cabinet ministers and senior party officials fighting in corners of contenders to Mugabe’s throne, Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.
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The outbursts came amid allegations of kidnappings, bribery and abductions of other party members as the race for the Women’s League posts gets nastier and nastier.
But opposition parties and analysts said Zanu PF’s internal fighting had muddled efforts to address the economic challenges the country was facing, although Gumbo dismissed the charges yesterday.
MDC-T organising secretary Nelson Chamisa said: “The nation has been arrested by the fractious and internal fissures within Zanu PF and this is arresting energies to resolve fundamental issues.
“The crisis in Zimbabwe is a crisis of governance. We should resolve the unanswered question of governance and legitimacy.”
He urged the forthcoming Sadc Heads of State Summit to include the Zimbabwean political crisis on its agenda.
MDC Renewal Team spokesperson Jacob Mafume said: “They [Zanu PF] have their eyes off the ball and are blind to the solutions of the country’s needs.
“There is a crisis in Zanu PF and government and it’s a national duty that Zanu PF needs to retire Mugabe. They need to renew themselves.”
