BY KENNETH NYANGANI
THE Zanu PF Mutare district co-ordinating committee co-option elections held at the weekend for the post of secretary-general were marred by chaos as supporters of party chairperson Oppah Muchinguri and Transport deputy minister Mike Madiro clashed.
Muchinguri and Madiro are reportedly fighting over control of Manicaland province.
The elections were meant to replace the late former secretary-general, Wellington Zambezi, who succumbed to COVID-19 early this year.
Twenty-two members attended the meeting, which was chaired by Binali Yard and supervised by Manicaland political commissar Gift Kagweda.
Three candidates, Henry Nemaire, Clever Muparutsa and one Garwe threw their hats into the ring, resulting in a stalemate between Muparutsa and Nemaire, who got 11 votes apiece.
Chaos then ensured after Esau Mupfumi proposed that Nemaire, as the more senior member, be given the secretary-general position, with Muparutsa taking charge of party finances.
Tempers allegedly flared, resulting in Zanu PF national youth member, Getrude Mutandi hurling insults at Mupfumi, accusing him of engineering her defeat in recent senatorial elections to replace the late Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Ellen Gwaradzimba.
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Kagweda and Mupfumi confirmed the skirmishes.
“After the elections we consulted and realised that we need to keep the party united. This is not the first time that insults have happened,” Mupfumi said.
Mutandi could not be reached for comment.
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