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Undenge survives ouster bid

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ZANU PF Manicaland provincial chairman Samuel Undenge reportedly survived a bid to remove him from his position last Saturday as factional wars in the province continue unabated.

ZANU PF Manicaland provincial chairman Samuel Undenge reportedly survived a bid to remove him from his position last Saturday as factional wars in the province continue unabated.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

Undenge’s opponents reportedly tried to use a provincial co-ordinating committee (PCC) meeting to stage the “coup”, accusing him of being weak and failing to rein in provincial youth leaders who continue to savage party bigwigs, particularly Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri.

SAMUEL-UNDENGE-(4)

“There was a plot to remove Undenge at the PCC meeting which was being pushed by some members in the women’s league, with support from individuals in the main wing. They accused the chairman of failing to run the province and that he was failing to control the youth in the province,” a party official said.

Provincial women’s league member Beauty Benge reportedly spilled the beans on the impending motion against Undenge, who was saved by youths after they declared their support for him.

Benge refused to comment on the issue yesterday.

Members of Zanu PF’s G40 faction, reportedly led by First Lady Grace Mugabe, and Team Lacoste, a faction aligned to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, have often clashed over control of the province.

Muchinguri, a suspected Mnangagwa ally, has borne the brunt of most of the abuse by the youth league, who recently tried to pass a no-confidence vote against her.

Provincial youth chairperson Mubuso Chinguno said he was aware of the alleged plot against Undenge and accused two party members, Brighton Dzakandwa (provincial secretary for economic affairs) and Lesley Parirenyatwa (education secretary), of being the the ringleaders.

“There was a meeting after VP Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter’s wedding in Vumba. We know people who were at the meeting and it was discussed that Undenge should be ousted from his position because they felt Muchinguri was continuously being attacked by party youths,” Chinguno said.

Dzakandwa denied involvement in the alleged plot.

“Mubuso brought the matter up at the PCC, but did not identify the culprits. We are not involved in the plot, we heard that Mubuso is saying that there was a meeting to plan against Undenge, but there was nothing like that. It was simply a wedding day,” Dzakandwa said.

Parirenyatwa could not be reached for comment.

Mubuso added that party youths were not happy with Zanu PF legal secretary Patrick Chinamasa’s refusal to sack former Energy deputy minister Munacho Mutezo, who reportedly belongs to the expelled faction led by former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

Chinamasa heads the ruling party’s national disciplinary committee.

“We have continuously passed a resolution for Mutezo’s recall and expulsion, but Chinamasa seems reluctant to push the matter through and we are not happy with his conduct,” Chinguno said.

Chinamasa was unavailable for comment.