Ugly scenes of intra-party Zanu PF fights

By Godfrey Mtimba

MASVINGO – Zanu PF pillars continue falling apart after ugly scenes of intra-party violence characterised DCC elections in Nyajena, Masvingo South at the weekend. Armed police had to be called in to quell clashes and had to fire shots to disperse the warring parties.

The warring factions — one led by Defence minister Emerson Mnangagwa and another by Vice President Joice Mujuru have been fighting over different issues including the control of party structures in provinces in the ongoing DCC elections which are part of a restructuring exercise ahead of anticipated general elections this year.

Zanu PF supporters fought running battles at Shumba Primary School in Masvingo South after members aligned to the Mujuru faction accused their rivals of manipulating the elections. The election dispute resulted in bloody clashes that resulted in supporters pelting each other with stones resulting in several people getting injured.

The clashes also damaged the school classrooms leaving windows shattered as the rival groups threw stones at each other. The incident comes barely a week after similar clashes in Masvingo where police had also to be called in to disperse the fighting supporters.

The elections had to be aborted after the Mnangagwa faction which has since acquired the majority of the districts here, was accused of imposing candidates.

“We declined to let the elections go ahead as they had been manipulated by the Mnangagwa faction. They bussed their supporters and forced some villagers to the school to vote for the candidate they had also imposed. After we rejected the polls, there were violent clashes and police had to come in.”

“Some supporters fought running battles throwing stones at each other and in the process the school was left severely damaged. Some classroom blocks were left with shattered windows.”

“The police nearly failed to handle the situation and had to arm themselves. They then had to fire shots in the air for people to disperse,” said a member of the Mujuru faction who declined to be named.

The Mnangagwa faction led by his close ally and Higher Education minister, Stan Mudenge are close to gaining total control of the province after winning in the disputed elections in five of the seven districts of the province.

But the Mujuru faction led by former governor and Zanu PF Politburo member, Dzikamai Mavhaire of the “Mugabe must go fame” have said there are no elections going on in the province. Police spokesperson, Inspector Tinaye Matake declined to comment and referred all questions to police general headquarters.

“Call the PGHQ, I can’t comment” said Matake. Zanu PF provincial chairperson, Lovemore Matuke said he was not aware of the clashes.

“ I am not aware of that, so far I haven’t received a formal report on violent clashes or incidents related to that but I will be meeting the people leading the elections and if there is anything like that, I will get the report and look into the matter,” said Matuke.

The clashes over the DCC elections in Masvingo have exposed the levels of factionalism in the province as the big guns in Zanu PF battle to position themselves to replace Mugabe. Daily News