Mliswa still in charge – Paradza

By TENDAI KAMHUNGIRA

HARARE – Zanu PF’s secretary for administration for Mashonaland West, Kindness Paradza, has rubbished claims that Friday’s politburo meeting sanctioned the purported ouster of the province’s chairman Temba Mliswa.

In a statement on Saturday, he described reports that were carried by State media claiming that Mliswa had been ousted as “mischievous”.

“Contrary to the misleading headline in today’s media, which can only be described as mischievous, the provincial chairman for Mashonaland West, Cde Temba Mliswa has not been booted out by the politburo.

“The fact of the matter is that the issue is following due process and procedure, and has been referred to a disciplinary committee chaired by the National Chairman Cde. S. K. Moyo.

“As is the norm when this occurs, the matter will be investigated and an official position will be concluded and announced in due course.

“In the meantime, in my capacity as the secretary for administration, I would like to announce and categorically state that pending the outcome or verdict of the disciplinary committee tasked to undertake this, Cde. Temba Mliswa remains the substantive provincial chairman for Mashonaland West and further that all current programmes and initiatives being undertaken accordingly remain valid and will progress as scheduled,” Paradza said.

“For the avoidance of doubt and to make things perfectly clear, it is standard and normal practice to have pending issues investigated by a disciplinary committee. Once a verdict has been made, my office will receive the official communication from (the) National (office) in black and white and that position will subsequently be disseminated through my office and that of the Zanu PF secretary for information and publicity, Cde. Rugare Gumbo.

“No party business is conducted through the media and it is unfortunate that we have had to correct the misconceptions created by over-zealous scribes.

“Furthermore, (and) in light of the above, Cde. Ziyambi Ziyambi does not hold the position of acting chairman and subsequently remains the vice chairperson for Mashonaland West Province,” Paradza added.

To buttress his statement, he also advised party supporters that there would be an urgent PCC meeting today,  to be held at the Chinhoyi Public Service Training Centre.

The meeting would look into the introduction of the Provincial Congress Coordinating Committee, land issues and the purported vote of no confidence against Mliswa.

Paradza’s statement yesterday came in the wake of dramatic twists to the worsening factional wars in Mashonaland West, where allegations surfaced last week that some party officials were being offered cash to precipitate the fall of Mliswa.

The cash-for-support scandal in Mashonaland West also surfaces after Mugabe and his wife Grace had also publicly alluded to the fact that dirty money was exchanging hands in the escalating Zanu PF succession war.

The Daily News on Sunday’s sister paper, the Daily News, saw affidavits of Zanu PF officials in Mashonaland West confessing to having allegedly been offered $600 bribes to sign a petition to oust Mliswa.

Francis Mukwangwariva, a Member of Parliament for Zvimba East and the provincial secretary for economic affairs, who is believed to belong to the Emmerson Mnangagwa faction, has been fingered in the bribery saga where he allegedly offered the party’s structures cash in a bid to show Mliswa the door.

Farai Chiyangwa of Plot 08, Witchens Farm, in Banket, swore in his affidavit, handed to the police that on October 15 he was allegedly approached by Mukwangwariva, who was supposedly working on the orders of a minister and politburo member (name withheld) to pass a vote of no confidence in Mliswa.

Chiyangwa is a provincial member.

“On Wednesday 15 October 2014, I was approached by Cde Francis Mukwangwariva who offered me $600 to sign a petition calling for a vote of no confidence to be passed against Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson, Cde Temba Mliswa,” read part of the affidavit.

The shocking revelations have exposed the desperation running deep within Zanu PF in the battle to succeed Mugabe.

Contacted for comment, Mukwangwariva said last week: “I cannot comment on that. Let’s wait and see how you will publish the story”.

While Chiyangwa’s affidavit could be a microcosm of the shenanigans that took place behind the scenes in the foiled plot to topple Mliswa a few weeks ago, it is feared that thousands of dollars could have been splashed about in order to convince the 28 district officials who took part in Mliswa’s failed ouster. Daily News