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Cde Shamu

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Zanu-PF national political commissar Cde Webster Shamu and Cde Sylvester Nguni’s names were removed from Mashonaland West’s list of Central Committee members that was submitted to the Politburo yesterday.

The two were booted out following a demonstration by party supporters in Chinhoyi demanding that they lose Central Committee seats they clinched a few days ago for fanning factionalism and engaging in acts of corruption.

The two were replaced by Cdes Christopher Mutsvangwa and Getrude Mudzvanyi.

Acting provincial chairman Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi, provincial youth chairman Cde Vengi Musengi and Central Committee member-elect Cde Philip Chiyangwa addressed the demonstrators at the party provincial offices in Chinhoyi.

Cde Chiyangwa told the gathering that Cdes Shamu and Nguni had been relieved of their posts before handing a petition to Cde Ziyambi.

Cde Ziyambi said the pair had been removed from the Mashonaland West Central Committee list following the demonstrations and accusations against them.

“The province said they do not tolerate anyone who is working against President Mugabe, especially considering that he hails from Mashonaland West.

“Having seen that we had erred when we allowed them to contest we wrote to Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo who is the head of the province’s congress preparation team asking him to replace the two with Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa and Cde Getrude Mudzvanyi,” he said.

Cde Musengi said Cdes Shamu and Nguni unashamedly associated with Vice President Joice Mujuru who is accused of scheming to depose President Mugabe.

The petition said Cde Shamu’s wife had a history of associating with ousted provincial chairman Temba Mliswa “who is notorious for denouncing the President and collaborating with VP Mujuru to destabilise our party”.

“It is very funny and ironic that Cde Nguni, a son of Mashonaland West does not participate in our activities and is missing in action while we are fighting to protect the sovereignty of our land. Cde Nguni never attends crucial provincial functions and it is our understanding that since he works in the VP’s office, he has been brainwashed to the extent of denouncing his kinsmen.

“He and his cronies are typical sell-outs who not only betrayed us as a province, but also the ideals and principles of the revolutionary party,” read part of the petition.

The petition accused Cde Shamu of presiding over elections which ushered in “these evil chairpersons” whose agenda has been to dethrone President Mugabe.

The province also accused Cde Nguni of distributing MDC pamphlets in bags of maize meal when he was still chief executive of Cottco.

It accused the pair of breaching sections of the party’s constitution.

“Our position is actually in sync with the provincial executive’s resolution that all those with dirty hands be barred from participating in any party activities until their names are cleared,” read the petition.