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From George Maponga in Masvingo
Zanu-PF’s Masvingo provincial leadership has welcomed the expulsion of four former ruling party bigwigs in the province, saying the move will put a lid on confusion and conflict in the party.

Four legislators from the province — Dr Walter Mzembi (Masvingo South), Dr Daniel Shumba (Masvingo Urban), Dr Paul Chimedza (Gutu South) and Cde Jappy Jaboon (Bikita South) — were part of the 11 Zanu-PF Members of Parliament expelled from the August House after being recalled by the party.

Through an Extraordinary Congress held in the capital last month, Zanu-PF resolved to fire the bigwigs, as they were considered to be the foot soldiers of the G40 cabal, allegedly fomenting divisions and confusion in the ruling party.

The affected members were elected on Zanu-PF’s ticket in the 2013 harmonised elections. Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairman Cde Ezra Chadzamira on Friday said the expulsion was long overdue.

“We want to thank the ruling party national leadership for the move to finally notify Parliament about the expulsion of the Members of Parliament in question from Zanu-PF because their continued attendance in the House of Assembly was now confusing our people,’’ he said. Some of the expelled MPs, Cde Chadzamira said, were creating parallel structures in their constituencies.

‘’In Masvingo Province, the four fired Members of Parliament were causing confusion among our people because we had told them about their expulsion from Zanu-PF, yet they continued to attend Parliament and convene Constituency Development Fund (CDF) meetings in constituencies they used to represent,’’ he said. Cde Chadzamira said the party was now poised to pull in one direction.

“We are happy that a new chapter is now being opened in Masvingo, where all party cadres will be pulling in one direction as we gear for harmonised elections, which our province hopes to sweep clean,’’ he said.

Dr Mzembi has been Masvingo South MP since 2005, while Dr Chimedza was first elected Gutu South legislator in a 2011 by-election held to fill a vacancy left following the death of Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro (MDC-T), who had been elected MP for the constituency in 2008.

Dr Shumba and Cde Jaboon were elected MPs for Masvingo Urban and Bikita South respectively, during the 2013 elections. Zanu-PF intends to retain all 26 House of Assembly seats in the province. Inter-district meetings are underway to restructure the party ahead of the forthcoming harmonised elections.