The infighting in Zanu PF yesterday spilled into the open, as the party fired former Mines and Mining Development minister Edward Chindori-Chininga from Copac with immediate effect.
Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa confirmed Chindori-Chininga had indeed been fired from Copac.
“That is true. It is all I can say to the Press right now because I cannot discuss the details with the Press,” Mutasa said.
Sources revealed to NewsDay yesterday that the Guruve South MP had engaged in a heated debate which almost degenerated into a fistfight with Copac co-chairman Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana (Zanu PF) after Chindori-Chininga questioned Mangwana over the “continued false and conflicting statements” with other co-chairmen that he allegedly issued to the media.
Recently Mangwana told NewsDay that drafting of the new constitution would begin last Monday, but the other Copac co-chairmen, Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T) and Edward Mkhosi (MDC), said it was not true as it was expected to begin in a fortnight.
According to sources, Mangwana was also not in good books with other Select Committee members from his party and often engaged in confrontations with them.
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The sources further revealed that Chindori-Chininga had challenged Mangwana and asked him to explain why he had been misinforming the Zanu PF leadership over pre-drafting preparation work and drafting dates, as well as issues pertaining to pre-drafting methodology, the constitutional framework and identification of constitutional principles.
The sources said Mangwana allegedly also tried to smuggle a Zanu PF draft constitution into Copac, which was, unfortunately for him, intercepted by MDC-T members.
Mangwana is believed to have suspected Chindori-Chininga had leaked the document to MDC-T, resulting in serious conflict between the two.
During the confrontation, Mangwana is said to have lost his temper, resulting in Chindori-Chininga challenging him to a fistfight if he continued to “disregard and harass” other Select Committee members.
Information picked by NewsDay shows Zanu PF Select Committee members blame Mangwana for delaying the constitution-making process, engaging in unnecessary disputes with other co-chairmen and misinforming the Zanu PF politburo meetings by giving dates and information that misled leadership.
However, contacted for comment yesterday, Mangwana professed ignorance over Chindori-Chininga’s dismissal and referred NewsDay to the Zanu PF leadership.
Yesterday Mwonzora said they had not yet received official communication from Zanu PF on the dismissal of Chindori-Chininga.