Mutsvangwa blows top over factionalism

Local News
The divisions saw the province’s womens league leader Happiness Nyakuedzwa storming out of a meeting in Mutare recently, after a fallout with other party members over a co-opted candidate.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI INFORMATION, Publicity and Broadcasting Services minister Monica Mutsvangwa has reportedly threatened to deal with Zanu PF Manicaland members who leaked information on internal party fights to the Press.

The divisions saw the province’s womens league leader Happiness Nyakuedzwa storming out of a meeting in Mutare recently, after a fallout with other party members over a co-opted candidate.

Mutsvangwa, who is the women’s league secretary for administration, recently met the Manicaland women’s league structures and reportedly blasted some party members for leaking information to the Press.

The meeting came after Nyakuedzwa co-opted Chineni Mapungwana from Chipinge district, a move that did not go down well with other party members.

The co-option came after Ivy Mhlanga from Chipinge was elected into the national women’s league executive.

Sources, who attended the tense meeting in Mutare at the weekend, told NewsDay that Mutsvangwa dismissed the issue of co-option saying they should wait for a Zanu PF circular.

Sources said Mutsvangwa avoided the co-option because she feared that Zanu PF Manicaland chairperson Mike Madiro’s wife Patience Kujenga, from Zimunya-Marange would take the reins.

“The meeting was tense and Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa was not happy about people who were leaking party information to the Press. Mutsvangwa, who hails from Manicaland province, also said she was not happy after the provincial leadership wrote a letter to the national women’s league over the disturbances that took place in Mutare. Mutsvangwa said they should wait for a Zanu PF circular before co-opting.  Due to factional fights in the province, she avoided the co-option,” the source added.

Zanu PF Manicaland political commissar in the main wing Dorothy Mabika is said to have allegedly influenced some members to rebuke Nyakuedzwa over the co-option.

Nyakuedzwa reportedly stormed out of the meeting, a move that saw her deputy, Mercy Vhiki, chairing the meeting.

Vhiki is the wife of Chimanimani West legislator, Joshua Sacco.

Mabika refuted the claims.

Nyakuedzwa yesterday refused to comment on the matter.

Mutsvangwa refused to comment.

“I don’t want to comment on the matter. The people that gave you that story should answer,” she said.

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