Zanu-PF plunges into polls Cde Matiza
Cde Matiza

Cde Matiza

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Zanu-PF has started restructuring process of its provincial structures starting with Mashonaland East where five candidates have submitted CVs to contest in provincial elections slated for Saturday.

The deadline for submitting applications was yesterday.

Indications are that after Mashonaland East, the restructuring exercise will move to Harare Province where Cde Robert Kahanana is holding fort pending the election of a substantive chair.

Those who submitted their CVs in Mashonaland East are interim chair Cde Aeneas Chigwedere, Cdes Edgar Mbwembwe, Joel Biggie Matiza, Philemon Mutongi and Obert Nyarugwe.

Goromonzi East House of Assembly legislator Cde Beatrice Nyamupinga will battle it out with Cde Aplonia Munzverengi to lead the provincial Women’s League.

Cde Munzverengi is from Hwedza and contested in the Zanu-PF Hwedza North primary elections in April but lost to Cde David Musabayana.

In Harare, the party’s provincial commissar Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe is understood to be angling for the chairmanship together with Mount Pleasant legislator Cde Jaison Passade.

In an interview on Monday, Cde Chigwedere said everything was in place for the provincial polls in Mashonaland East.

“We had our nominations on Sunday and five people submitted their CVs,” he said.

Cde Chigwedere is currently leading an interim committee running the affairs of Mashonaland East following the ouster of Cde Phenias Chihota.

Cde Chihota had replaced Mr Ray Kaukonde who was expelled from Zanu-PF for his role in the plot to unseat President Mugabe unconstitutionally.

Cde Chigwedere was at one point suspended by the committee on allegations of fomenting divisions in the province.

However, the suspension was overturned by the party’s national commissar, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, who described it as a nullity.

Sources in Mashonaland East intimated to The Herald that the real contest was be between Cdes Matiza and Mbwembwe.

“On paper it looks like many people are interested in the chairmanship post, but the common denominators who will decide the polls are Cdes Matiza and Mbwembwe,” said the source.

“The two have done a lot of groundwork and it seems like it is going to be an interesting election.”

Cde Mbwembwe told the Herald yesterday that he was ready to relinquish his Central Committee post to lead the province.

He said his wish was to unite the province because it had been in the press for wrong reasons.

“Mashonaland East has been in the media for wrong reasons thereby creating an impression that it is a rebellious province,” he said.

“Come Monday, we will have a province which is solidly behind Zanu-PF and President Mugabe. We want our province to appreciate that Zanu-PF is a people’s party and that all people belong to it.”

In a veiled attack on Cde Matiza, who is the Mashonaland East Provincial Minister of State and current vice chair, Cde Mbwembwe said they could not allow a situation where one person was a minister and at the same time leading the province.

When asked for a comment, Cde Matiza said he was in a meeting and thereafter he was no longer answering his mobile phone.

Cdes Mashayamombe and Passade could not be reached for comment.

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