ZANU PF’s factional wars in Manicaland resembled a circus yesterday as 25 provincial Women’s League executive members disregarded a vote of no-confidence passed on the party’s provincial chairperson, Happiness Nyakuedzwa, claiming the signatures on the petition were forged.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
This came as Nyakuedzwa insisted she was still in charge, describing her weekend ouster as null and void.
Speaking at an emergency meeting held in Mutare yesterday, which was also attended by the league’s national executive member Monica Mutsvangwa, the provincial executive members said the “plot” to axe Nyakuedzwa had been fraudulently executed by five of their colleagues, who claimed to have been sent by First Lady Grace Mugabe.
The members immediately signed a counter-petition for the expulsion of the five members, who reportedly masterminded the ouster of Nyakuedzwa and announced a new structure.
Nokuthula Matsikanyere, who had been appointed acting chairlady at the weekend, was replaced by Edith Kamuzonde, while Chido Sanyatwe was replaced by Ivy Mhlanga for the secretary of administration post.
Beauty Benge was replaced by Eunice Muhiwa as the secretary for information, Janet Chivese was replaced by Miriam Matiza for the deputy secretary for indigenisation post and Siphumusiwe Chamisa was replaced Fyner Chibato (finance secretary).
Nyakuedzwa said if it were true that there were members who signed the petition on behalf of other party members, they should be arrested for forgery.
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“We are worried because 25 people who are supposed to sign the petition are all here and five members gave apologies. So who signed?”
Mutsvangwa said she was worried about people who met secretly on party matters, saying everything in the party should be done constitutionally.
“I came here to find out what is happening. We are against party members who conduct issues clandestinely,” she said.
“Everything that we do should follow the party constitution. We are against people who misuse the names of our leaders.”
Speaking at the same meeting, several executive members accused their detractors of claiming that the proposal to push Nyakuedzwa out had come from Grace.
‘’I was forced to sign the (anti-Nyakuedzwa) petition by Benge, who said they had been sent by First Lady Grace Mugabe. I refused because our party does not act like that. We were told that Nyakuedzwa had disobeyed the First Lady during her visit to Chimanimani,” Evelyn Mutsago, from Zimunya/Marange in Mutare North, said.
