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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Zanu-PF is working on measures to regain control of urban constituencies as it seeks to consolidate its power base and will not tolerate the imposition of candidates, the party’s National Political Commissar Cde Victor Matemadanda has said.

He was speaking during an interface with ex-combatants, widows, ex-detainees, war collaborators and other members from the party organs here.

Cde Matemadanda said the days of demarcating rural areas as the preserve of Zanu-PF and urban settlements as a fortress for opposition parties were over.

He said the party was consolidating its support base among rural voters and at the same time reclaiming urban votes.
“We are now going to fish in unknown waters. The party renews itself during election periods and our view is that every election reinvigorates the party. However, the concern is that we have been fishing from one pond,” said Cde Matemadanda.

“That is why we are now embracing everyone who wants to join the party. The biggest headache that politicians have is civil servants. These have for long been participating in politics whether negatively or positively.

“They become civil servants because they serve the Government of the day and implement its programmes though at times they question some programmes

“They must be free to point out where things are going wrong. We have always had civil servants in political parties’ structures, whether in the ruling party or opposition establishments.”

He continued; “When DCC elections come, we will not allow the imposition of candidates. We have discovered that we had a tendency of creating regional political gurus.

“So the understanding that we want our people to have is that, it is them and the party that have a relationship, not through someone else. We are all members from the Politburo, Central Committee and all card-carrying members”.

The politician said it was important for party members and supporters to note that they had equal membership.
Cde Matemanda said there was a misconception among some people in the party that when they are aligned to certain politicians, they have advantages over others.

He said such a practice of imposing candidates on the people and the creation of alignments almost destroyed the party during the old dispensation

“You had to align to certain individuals for you to be recognised, even the part of the leadership we have today still have that mentality and also we still have some people regionalising party politics.

“For instance, I come from the Midlands and unfortunately or maybe fortunately our province and Masvingo are not named along tribal origins, like Matabeleland, Manicaland and Mashonaland,” said Cde Matamedanda.

He said in some cases, people would go to the extent of saying anyone who is not from Manicaland or Mashonaland should not be in any position of leadership.
He said the practice was rife in Harare and Bulawayo.

Cde Matemadanda said people should contest for party positions based on party membership.
He said the commissariat department was on a whirlwind tour of the country to discuss welfare issues and unpack the direction of the movement to them, including the economic situation and sanctions to its members.