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Joseph Madzimure-Senior Reporter

ZANU PF has directed all its provincial structures to immediately stop suspensions and await a Politburo position on the matter, the party’s Secretary for Information and Publicity, Cde Chris Mutsvangwa has said.

This comes as some provinces, mainly Harare and Midlands, have issued prohibitive orders to some members pending disciplinary hearings.

Former legislator for Gokwe Nembudziya Mayor Justice Wadyajena is topping the list of those facing the chop in the Midlands province among other party officials.

Addressing a press conference in Harare yesterday, Cde Mutsvangwa called for unity of purpose among party members, saying disunity is counterproductive.

“There should be a stay in suspensions. 

“People must wait for direction from the Politburo because the standing resolution is that there are no suspensions. What we don’t want in the party is a replication of the chaos in the opposition and become a copycat of the Citizen Coalition for Change, where they are at each other’s throats.

“We are a structured party, an organised party and we rely on central direction from our President through the Politburo”.

He called on the party’s provincial leadership to desist from abusing their positions until a directive comes from the Politburo.

“My sincere advice to the leadership of the party at all levels is to desist from such actions until they get direction from the Politburo.”

“We don’t want chaos within the party, we do not want pet settling of scores within the party. 

“We are celebrating our win, we won as the Zanu PF family, so we must share that victory as the Zanu PF family.

“We have no reason to be poking at each other’s eyes for any particular reason and the President does not countenance such kind of petty infighting within the party,” he said.

Turning to this week’s by-elections, Cde Mutsvangwa said the party’s leadership is happy with the performance of its candidates.

“We are enthused by the response of the urban electorate, we started with Mbare. It was followed by victories in urban centres like Banket and Chinhoyi in Mashonaland West.

“We are looking forward to winning in the Mabvuku-Tafara constituency. We have put a lot of organisation in Mabvuku”.

Mabvuku is one of the oldest suburbs of Harare, and is also a cradle of African nationalism. However, over the past two decades, the suburb has been getting a raw deal from successive opposition councillors and legislators. 

“We see that there is a new realisation of the previous mistakes of voting for the opposition political party. People are coming back to the party of hope which is Zanu PF, so we are looking forward to winning in Mabvuku. We hope the same trend can be repeated in Bulawayo after all the opposition party is committing hara-kiri, they are at each other’s throats,” Cde Mutsvangwa said.

Zanu PF continues to make inroads into opposition strongholds after it won the ward 2 council by-election held on Saturday in Chinhoyi.

The party’s candidate, Cde Walter Mutevani, polled 564 votes against CCC’s Hamilton Jonasi who got 465 votes. 

The seat had been in the hands of the opposition, but fell vacant after the winner in August 23 election, Patricia Chibaya, died a few days after being sworn in.