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OLIVER MANDIPAKA

Nyore Madzianike Manicaland Bureau
TENSIONS reigned supreme during a ZANU-PF extraordinary provincial coordinating committee (PCC) meeting held in Mutare on Sunday, which saw comrades Oliver Mandipaka and Ronald Muderedzwa miss a fist-fight by just a whisker. Cde Mandipaka and Cde Muderedzwa are both Members of Parliament in Buhera district.

The tiff started with Cde Mandipaka accusing his counterpart of being a “sell-out” aligned to the G40 cabal and working towards his (Mandipaka’s) downfall. Cde Mandipaka also accused Cde Muderedzwa of naming him among 39 ZANU-PF members who were at one point shortlisted for expulsion from the party for belonging to Team Lacoste and supporting President Mnangagwa during the purges that culminated in the ouster of former president Robert Mugabe.

“Why were you selling me out? I want to know why he was selling me out. Haasiri iye aiti pasi naMnangagwa here? You were busy writing false reports to Mandi Chimene saying I was supporting Mnangagwa. Why were you doing that? Kuda kungwara-ngwara semunhu anochera nyoka, vana kabias. We don’t want people with double standards. Muderedzwa and even you, Soul Nzuma, (a Zanu-PF aspiring MP). You wanted to be an MP and I want to see whether you are going to be an MP,” said Cde Mandipaka.

Cde Nzuma is a member of the Central Committee in Buhera. Cde Mandipaka vowed to “deal” with Cde Muderedzwa and Cde Nzuma saying they gave him a torrid time during the time they were working in cahoots with other G40 cabal members. He also vowed to block any manoeuvres by Cde Muderedzwa and Cde Nzuma to secure positions in the “new” ZANU-PF.

“It was so painful. We do not want people with double standards. Now that (President) Mnangagwa is the leader, you also want to be at the forefront. I am telling you, that won’t happen. Over my dead body . . . vana Kabias,” he swore. Efforts to distance himself from the allegations were fruitless for Cde Muderedzwa whose responses were received with anger by other party members from Buhera.

“I never said anything and I never wrote anyone’s name. All I did was support Cde Mugabe,” he said.
Buhera SouthMP Cde Joseph Chinotimba had a tough time calming down Cde Mandipaka and other members who also took the opportunity to vent their anger at those alleged to be aligned to the G40 cabal. Tensions were also boiling over among youths who were calling for the expulsion of those accused of working along with ousted Chimene.

Some youths were also chased away from the venue on allegations of being part of the G40 cabal. Speaking at the same meeting, ZANU-PF Secretary for Transport and Welfare Cde Oppah Muchunguri-Kashiri called for peace among party mem- bers. She said disputes should be resolved amicably and called on party supporters to unite.