Zanu PF has started rolling out the process to overhaul its
central committee and politburo ahead of the December congress, which is
expected to set the tone for a post-President Robert Mugabe era, leaked
communication to party structures has revealed.
Mugabe has powers to handpick the politburo and he is now
expected to use the congress to weed out perceived enemies.
According to a letter dated October 18 and sent to all
central committee, national consultative assembly, women’s league, youth
league, provincial co-ordinating committee and district executive members, the
realignment will start in the coming weeks.
The Zanu PF secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo,
who signed the letter said the congress will run from December 12 to 17 at an
open area on the outskirts of Harare’s central business district, popularly
known as Freedom Square.
Chombo listed the agenda of the congress, which includes
the election of central committee members and constitutional amendments to
include the women’s quota in the presidium.
“To take stock of the state of the party and to realign its
structures, including the election of central committee members in light of
recent developments that have implications on the unity and programmes of the
party ahead of the 2018 harmonised general elections,” reads the second agenda
on the item.
Zanu PF sources said the item referred to Mugabe’s ongoing
onslaught against Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Team Lacoste
faction.
The VP is accused of plotting against the 93-year-old ruler
and in the past two months the first family have stepped up public attacks
against him.
Mugabe a fortnight ago stripped Mnangagwa of the Justice
ministry in a Cabinet reshuffle that also claimed the scalps of three ministers
who were considered to leading members of Team Lacoste.
Last week Zanu PF suspended Masvingo provincial chairman
Ezra Chadzamira, provincial youth commissar Brian Munyoro Midlands youth
secretary for administration Justice Mayor Wadjajena and acting provincial
deputy chairman Godwin Shiri on allegations of fomenting tribalism and
attacking party leaders.
Mugabe has in the past complained that Masvingo and
Midlands have formed a tribal alliance in the battle to succeed him.
Zanu PF insiders say the veteran ruler will use the
congress to install his preferred successor, whom many now believe is Defence
minister Sidney Sekeremayi.
Chombo said the congress will also change Zanu PF’s
constitution to accommodate a female vice president, which is another way to
manage the succession issue, sources said.
“To make necessary constitutional amendments including the
women’s quota in the presidium as per 2015 and 2016 resolutions of the national
people’s conferences of Victoria Falls and Masvingo respectively,” reads the
last agenda item, which has caused panic in Mnangagwa’s camp.
Another school of thought suggests that Grace will be
elevated to the vice president position and Mugabe will have three deputies.
Well-placed sources told The Standard that Chombo’s letter
was dispatched to provinces and party organs last Friday. Zanu PF will soon issue a statement giving allocations of
members to be appointed to the central committee for each province, the source
said.
“The party’s secretary for administration met the
provincial chairpersons on Friday and dispatched the letters that advise them
to prepare for elections of new central committee members,” a source close to
the developments said.
“Chombo also advised the provincial chairs to go and advise
the inter-district conference of the people who should attend the special
congress.”
Chombo was not picking calls yesterday.
There has been confusion on what the congress will be about
following conflicting statements issued by provincial executives when they met
to endorse the indaba.
The provinces were all in agreement that the congress will
endorse Mugabe’s candidature for the 2018 general elections.
However, some provinces stated that the congress will
reconfigure the party structures to suit the political developments in the
party, a statement seen by Mnangagwa backers as targeting the under fire VP.
Meanwhile, Chadzamira is accused of manipulating Masvingo’s
resolutions to suit his faction’s agenda.
In the end Masvingo issued two conflicting statements.
Chadzamira is accused of removing a resolution that
recommended calls for an “urgent need to take stoke of the part as well as its
programmes and where necessary, to realign the party structures and party
programmes in light of recent political developments in or outside the party and
the 2018 general elections in terms of section 30 of the said constitution.”
The statement released by Chadzamira only had the
endorsement of Mugabe as the party’s candidate for the 2018 elections only.
Mugabe’s ongoing onslaught against Vice-President Emmerson
Mnangagwa and his Team Lacoste faction.
The VP is accused of plotting against the 93-year-old ruler
and in the past two months, the first family has stepped up public attacks
against him.
Mugabe a fortnight ago stripped Mnangagwa of the Justice
ministry in a Cabinet reshuffle that also claimed the scalps of three ministers
who were considered to be leading members of Team Lacoste.
Last Friday Zanu PF suspended Masvingo provincial chairman
Ezra Chadzamira, provincial youth commissar Brian Munyoro, Midlands youth
secretary for administration Justice Mayor Wadyajena and acting provincial
deputy chairman Godwin Shiri on allegations of fomenting tribalism and
attacking party leaders.
Mugabe has in the past complained that Masvingo and
Midlands have formed a tribal alliance in the battle to succeed him.
Zanu PF insiders say the veteran ruler will use the
congress to install his preferred successor, whom many now believe is Defence
minister Sidney Sekeremayi.
Chombo said the congress will also change Zanu PF’s
constitution to accommodate a female vice president, which is another way to
manage the succession issue, sources said.
“To make necessary constitutional amendments including the
women’s quota in the presidium as per 2015 and 2016 resolutions of the national
people’s conferences of Victoria Falls and Masvingo respectively,” reads the
last agenda item, which has caused panic in Mnangagwa’s camp.
Another school of thought suggests that Grace will be
elevated to the vice-presidency and Mugabe will have three deputies.
Well-placed sources told The Standard that Chombo’s letter
was dispatched to provinces and party organs last Friday. Zanu PF will soon issue a statement giving allocations of
members to be appointed to the central committee for each province, a source
said.
“The party’s secretary for administration met the
provincial chairpersons on Friday and dispatched the letters that advise them
to prepare for elections of new central committee members,” a source close to
the developments said.
“Chombo also advised the provincial chairs to go and advise
the inter-district conference of the people who should attend the special
congress.”
Chombo was not picking calls yesterday.
There had been confusion on what the congress will be about
following conflicting statements issued by provincial executives when they met
to endorse the indaba.
The provinces were all in agreement that the congress will
endorse Mugabe’s candidature for the 2018 general elections.
However, some provinces stated that the congress will
reconfigure the party structures to suit the political developments in the
party, a statement seen by Mnangagwa backers as targeting the under-fire VP.
Meanwhile, Chadzamira is accused of manipulating Masvingo’s
resolutions to suit his faction’s agenda.
In the end, Masvingo issued two conflicting statements.
Chadzamira is accused of removing a resolution that
recommended calls for an “urgent need to take stock of the party as well as its
programmes and where necessary, to realign the party structures and party
programmes in light of recent political developments in or outside the party
and the 2018 general elections in terms of section 30 of the said
constitution.”
The statement released by Chadzamira only had the
endorsement of Mugabe as the party’s candidate for the 2018 elections only.
Standard
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