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NewsDay

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Threatening text messages: Zanu PF vows action

Politics
ZANU PF has invited its members who are receiving threatening text messages to come forward and report so that investigations are instituted to expose those behind the criminal acts, party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo has said.

ZANU PF has invited its members who are receiving threatening text messages to come forward and report so that investigations are instituted to expose those behind the criminal acts, party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo has said.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

This comes amid heightened intimidation in the ruling party as warring factions reportedly angle to succeed 91-year-old President Robert Mugabe.

The majority of provincial youth chairpersons, some of them politburo members, including ministers, reportedly received messages on their mobile phones threatening them with death over internal party squabbles.

Khaya Moyo said the ruling party was keen to establish the origin of the messages, a move that may open up a can of worms in the faction-ridden party.

“We haven’t heard any report about that issue,” Khaya Moyo said while expressing eagerness in learning more about the said texts.

“Certainly, it is something I would want to see first before I make a comment. I am encouraging people to report and if they have suspicions, then they should come forward and we will investigate to see who is behind it.”

He said disciplinary action would be taken against Zanu PF officials found responsible for the threatening messages.

“If we establish where they are coming from, the party has systems for that,” he said.

Political analysts have warned of a bloodbath in Zanu PF if infighting is not controlled, less than a year after a brutal purge which saw former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and other senior officials being ousted on allegations of fanning divisions in the party and trying to topple Mugabe from power.

A provincial chairperson who spoke to NewsDay yesterday welcomed the idea to investigate and “shame the culprits”.

“We will co-operate if the leadership wants to hear more,” Godfrey Tsenengamu from Mashonaland Central said.

“If there is such a directive, then we will do that. I have confidence in the leadership that they will expose people behind the text messages. Personally, I am not moved by the threats, but I will cooperate if any information is required to deal with the matter.”