Zimpapers Logo

Heather Charema in Chegutu
Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial executive council yesterday passed a resolution to suspend former Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Chegutu East MP Webster Shamu together with his wife Constance from the party pending disciplinary proceedings for bringing the name of the party into disrepute.

Cde Shamu is also accused of being divisive. The provincial executive council also demoted eight provincial leaders and co-opted five new ones. It recommended the demotion of Keith Guzah (vice chairman) and executive members, Leornard Masamba, Godfrey Gandawa, Kaunda, Isaac McKenzie, Farai Charakatenda, Norbet Kazembe and Onward Kawara.

Cde Dexter Nduna was elevated to be vice chairman, while Tony Mwanza now becomes the Secretary for Security, with Abiah Mujere taking over from Farai Charakatenda. President Mnangagwa last week exercised his powers in terms of Section 108 (1)(a) as read with Section 340 (1) (f) of the Constitution and fired Cde Shamu as Minister of State for Provincial Affairs for Mashonaland West Province.

Addressing a zanu-pf provincial executive council meeting at the district party office in Chegutu yesterday, Mashonaland West provincial chairman Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi said the province had resolved to stick to the provincial coordinating committee resolution on Cde Shamu. “Following the provincial coordinating committee meeting that called for the censure of Cde Shamu, we considered the circumstances surrounding the resolutions. Cde Shamu was misusing power in the province and influence on police which was witnessed in Chegutu, where we had more arrests without any information given to us to address certain issues before engaging authorities,” he said.

“He was being divisive in the province, bringing the name of the party into disrepute.”

Cde Shamu did not attend the meeting where members sought explanation on how the Commissariat Department confirmed some individuals deemed ineligible to participate in the just-ended primary elections.

The meeting also sought for the censure of Cde Shamu, whom they accused of destabilising the party by allegedly setting up candidates to contest against the Special Advisor to the President, Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa, in Norton Constituency and Provincial Chairperson, Ziyambi Ziyambi in Zvimba West Constituency.

The meeting further sought an explanation from Cde Shamu on why Cde Ziyambi was on Independence Day barred from sitting at the high table, yet he was the only Cabinet minister attending the celebrations at Chinhoyi Stadium.

Cde Ziyambi said the executive could not recommend Cde Shamu’s candidature in the coming harmonised elections.

Given what had happened, we cannot recommend the name of Cde Shamu to be among the list of our candidates to go for the national elections and we also have to institute proceedings that he be suspended and brought before the disciplinary committee. We will submit our letter to the National Commissariat for considerations,” said Cde Ziyambi.

The executive recommended that Cde Shamu’s wife be suspended from the party following reports of destabilising the party and sabotaging it in Norton. There are also allegations of bribery.