Expel Moyo, Kasukuwere, Team Lacoste youths say

By Blessings Mashaya and Tendai Kamhungira

Expelled Zanu PF youths aligned to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Team Lacoste have asked President Robert Mugabe to fire Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo alleging they were concentrating on factionalism while abandoning their Cabinet duties.

The youths, who include Godfrey Tsenengamu (Mashonaland Central), Vengai Musengi (Mashonaland West), Khumbulani Mpofu (Bulawayo), Edmore Samambwa (Midlands), Tamuka Nyoni (Matabeleland North) and Washington Nkomo (Matabeleland South), among others, told a press conference yesterday that Mugabe can stop Zanu PF factionalism by closely monitoring the two Cabinet ministers.

“We want to take this opportunity to call upon the president to closely monitor all Cabinet ministers and ask them to concentrate on government business than concentrate on factional activities and challenge them to attend to the social and economic problems facing our country and, to a larger extent, the youth,” the group told reporters at a local hotel.

“Those who are abusing their government deployments to further factional agendas are hereby challenged to tender their resignations with immediate effect than continue to abuse the trust extended to them by the party president.”

Asked to categorically state who they were referring to, the youths said they were referring to Moyo and Kasukuwere.

“To these factionalists and trouble causers, we say, resign honourably and give the party a chance to survive. Stop playing the victim when you are the offenders.

“To the general public and the party membership, we call upon you to resist the machinations of the pair and give them no space to destabilise the party or to set you up against the president.”

The youths alleged the pair was abusing the First Family’s name for personal gain.

“As the vanguard of the party, we want to make it clear and known to the public that despite the impression created by these factionalist and power mongers that the party president…Mugabe and …Grace…were blessing with their misdoings in the party, we have realised that in fact these power mongers and opportunists are the real trouble makers and architects of the problems facing our party and have just been abusing the names and influence of the president and … Grace …,” the group said.

This is in sharp contrast with the gospel they have been preaching soon after their expulsion on charges of indiscipline and fomenting factionalism, when they attacked Grace and openly campaigned for Mnangagwa to take over the presidency.

During one of the most controversial attacks, the youths wrote a 12-page document to Mugabe, accusing him of personalising Zanu PF.

The youths, who operated under the Save Zanu PF Campaign banner, claimed Mugabe had used them to hound former Vice President Joice Mujuru out of the party in 2014 using untested claims of plotting to assassinate the nonagenarian leader but claim they were expelled when they resisted attempts to push Mnangagwa out.

During Thursday’s press conference, the youths seemed to back down.

“The divisionists and factionalists are the originators of the Lacoste and G40 factional terms. To the surprise of many, they now want to associate the G40 faction with the secretary for women affairs… Grace…when it in fact it existed well before the entry of … Grace…into the political arena,” they said. Daily News