ZANU PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo yesterday said the chanting of slogans denouncing some senior party members at First Lady Grace Mugabe’s “Meet The People” rallies was being done by irresponsible youths and warned members to stick to the party’s approved mottos.
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Gumbo said the new chants could be causing disharmony in Zanu PF, as it was not party policy to chant unapproved slogans. From the Gwanda rally, speakers at Grace’s rallies have adopted the chant “Down with Gamatox”, largely believed to be referring to the party’s secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa.
Mutasa infamously said Gamatox, a toxic insecticide, would be used to exterminate weevils in the party, after President Robert Mugabe had said Zanu PF had been infiltrated by the grain boring weevils.
“All I can say is that there are slogans which are acceptable and there are some which cannot be allowed,” Gumbo said.
“Those who are chanting such a slogan might be some irresponsible youths and as a party, we advise members to only stick to slogans approved by the party.”
He declined to reveal the course of action that would be taken on those whom he said are bent on causing disharmony in the party through such slogans.
“I cannot discuss with the media what action the party will take against those elements, I always avoid that,” he said.
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At Grace’s rallies, party regalia inscribed “Feel Mazowe Crush”, was widely being distributed and Gumbo could not be drawn into revealing if this was part of the sanctioned regalia.
Gumbo could not be drawn into commenting about Grace’s own use of the word “Gamatox”.
Grace had so far refrained from using the term, until some Bulawayo women stood to walk out during her address at Amazulu Sports Club on Wednesday.
“That’s Gamatox spirit,” she said in reprimanding the women.
Battle lines have been drawn in Zanu PF, as factions seek to outdo each other in the race to succeed Mugabe, turning 91 in four months.
Grace says her role is to crush factionalism within the party, while she was endorsed to take over the Zanu PF Women’s League in Mazowe, hence the neologism, Mazowe Crush.
