THE Zanu PF Manicaland provincial executive committee
yesterday made a strange demand that the agenda for the party’s proposed
extra-ordinary congress includes the appointment of a female vice-president, in
a suspected bid to smuggle First Lady Grace Mugabe into the presidium.
Their position contradicted other provinces in the ruling
party had endorsed President Robert Mugabe’s candidature, adding an intriguing
dimension to the party’s December extra-ordinary congress.
In voting for an extra-ordinary congress, Manicaland said
they wanted to discuss the elevation of a woman into the presidium a move
likely to see First Lady Grace Mugabe being awarded State power and underfire
Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa being booted out of office, as Mugabe’s
succession turns nastier.
The ruling party’s provincial women’s league chairlady
Estery Muyambo Madhuku moved the motion for a female vice-president.
“As the women’s league, we have endorsed that an
extra-ordinary congress should be held in December and we are proposing that we
should have a women’s representative,’’ she said.
Mugabe recently indicated that he could appoint a third
vice-president to end the factional fights within Zanu PF.
Section 26(2) of the Zanu PF constitution provides for an
extra-ordinary congress, only if there is a vacancy in the office of national
president or when a successor is to be chosen.
At 93, Mugabe remains the party’s presidential candidate
for the 2018 elections, although his advanced age and poor health might force
him to step down from government and remain party president.
Provincial youth chairman Mubuso Chinguno warned that their
main target at the congress was Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa leads the pack in Mugabe’s
likely successors, with Grace and Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi touted as
dark horses for the post.
“Women are there in Parliament and they are also there in
Cabinet, so we are supporting you women to have someone in the presidium, as
youths we are endorsing the extra-ordinary congress, we also want the issue of
poison to be clarified, we want to know when was the poison used,” he said in
apparent reference to Mnangagwa’s poisoning saga in Gwanda two months ago.
“There are people who are being sent to destabilise the
party and we realised that we need to deal with the source, we should deal with
the issue Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, he should come clean on these
people and he should be accountable,” he said.
Provincial secretary for administration Kenneth Saruchera
told the Zanu PF Manicaland provincial co-ordinating committee meeting that the
province had unanimously endorsed the resolution of holding an extra-ordinary
congress.
“We convened a meeting early today (yesterday) and we
passed a resolution that there should be an extra-ordinary congress.
Manicaland province requested his Excellency, the first
secretary of the party Comrade President Robert Mugabe in terms of the
constitution section 26 (1)(c) to convene an extra ordinary congress,’’ he
said.
“We want to specifically deliberate on the party’s
solidarity with President Robert Mugabe and his confirmation as the candidate
for the 2018 election and the urgency to take stork of the party and realign
party structures. We are going to send our resolution to the party’s secretary
for administration.”
This came as more than five party provinces had by
yesterday endorsed the call for an extra-ordinary congress.
Party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo said he was sure that
the party was heading towards the special congress, which under normal
circumstances would choose the party’s presidential candidate or the soon-to-be
94 years old Mugabe’s successor. Newsday
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