BATTLE lines have now been drawn between Zanu PF stalwarts vying to contest the post of Mashonaland East provincial chairperson left vacant by the firing of former Marondera Central MP, Ray Kaukonde.
BY Jairos Saunyama
NewsDay has established that the provincial coordinating committee (PCC) would sit on Sunday to consider CV’s for candidates who will battle it out on July 4 for the post.
Provincial Affairs minister Joel Biggie Matiza, Chikomba East MP Edgar Mbwembwe and interim chairperson Aeneas Chigwedere were set to lock horns in a battle that will see the winner with a daunting task of turning around the fortunes of a province being labelled “the home of Gamatox”.
Kaukonde and several other provincial officials were ousted on accusations of working with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru in an attempt to topple President Robert Mugabe from power.
A senior Zanu PF official said tension was brewing within the province with some candidates already claiming irregularities ahead of the elections.
The official also revealed that Mbwembwe on Wednesday resigned as Zanu PF central committee member to pave way for him to contest the elections.
“We have seen the three candidates trying to outdo each other. On Saturday, the PCC will sit before elections to be held next week. The main battle is between Matiza and Mbwembwe,” the official, who requested anonymity said.
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“Matiza has grassroots support while Mbwembwe has support from party heavyweights.”
The source also disclosed that Matiza’s camp was unhappy as some sections within the party were planning to conduct the elections in the absence of polling agents.
Matiza, who is the deputy interim chairperson yesterday refused to comment on the issue of polling agents.
“I do not know what you are talking about. What I know is that the nomination court will sit in Marondera and that elections are due next weekend,” Matiza said.
Zanu PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere dissolved the Kaukonde-led provincial executive replacing it with a 15-member interim executive that was running the party affairs until the new elections.
Kasukuwere is expected to attend Sunday’s PCC meeting.
