Zanu PF demo against Wadyajena flops

By Mugove Tafirenyika

A demonstration planned by ruling party youths against Gokwe-Nembudziya Zanu PF MP, Justice Mayor Wadyajena in Manicaland flopped at the weekend after the provincial youth league declined to cooperate, the Daily News has learnt.

The plot to demonstrate against Wadyajena, who is believed to be vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s protégé, reportedly emanated from his recent spat with Zanu PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere in Parliament.

Kasukuwere accused Wadyajena of abusing his position as chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee on Indigenisation to settle personal scores when he was called to Parliament to explain how he handled indigenisation deals with mining companies when he was still Indigenisation minister.

Following a harsh exchange of words between the two, Wadyajena’s committee went on to prefer contempt of Parliament charges against the Local Government minister.

This did not go down well with some party youths sympathetic to Kasukuwere, especially from Harare province that began mobilising youths throughout the country, de-campaigning the legislator as “disrespectful.”

Insiders told the Daily News, the youths, led by acting Harare youth league chairman Edison Takataka and Acie Lumumba, the Zanu PF losing candidate for Hatfield in the July 31, 2013 elections, were met with resistance in Manicaland.

“They wanted to influence us to join them in their fight with Wadyajena but as a province we did not see any reason to fight him as he was only doing his job as an MP,” a provincial youth leader who declined to be named for fear of reprisals said.

“We have our own problems here to worry ourselves about that. We are preparing for our own elections which are going to be held in September and you know that all is not well here.”

Wadyajena yesterday said the Zanu PF youths were demonstrating from a point of ignorance.

“Most likely they are being hoodwinked,” he said.

“In the execution of my mandate, I am guided by the Constitution of Zimbabwe and Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders. The legislative authority of Zimbabwe is derived from the people and it is important for the ‘people’ to know the truth.

“In any case, why should I be afraid if I’m doing the correct thing?”

Last week, party youths in Harare took turns to lambast Wadyajena during the ground-breaking ceremony of a Zanu PF information centre in Hatfield which the fiery legislator allegedly snubbed.

“Tiri kuona kuti mamwe mayouth ari kudzikisira vakuru vedu muParliament to the extent of blasting our national political commissar in Parliament (We see some of our youths denigrating their seniors),” Takataka said.

“We do not want such people in the party. If you are an MP, your duty is to represent people and not to blast party leadership,.

“As Harare youths, we are saying we do not want such people. We want youths who can be commanded, not what Wadyajena is doing in Parliament.”

Lumumba on his part tore into Wadyajena, saying challenging elders was alien to Zanu PF

“How is it that you are a chairman of a mere parliamentary portfolio committee, but you have the audacity of challenging the national political commissar who was appointed by the president on issues to do with indigenisation?” he asked.

“Is indigenisation Kasukuwere’s child? Who is the father of indigenisation? So, where is Kasukuwere coming in? If you challenge the national political commissar, next you are slowly aiming to challenge the president.

“He (Wadyajena) claims that he has the support of other senior members, I do not know.” Daily News