THE expulsion of Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister
Mandiitawepi Chimene from Zanu PF on Sunday has triggered mixed reactions from
Mutare residents with some, particularly in the opposition camp, describing her
as good riddance.
Others, however, said the province had lost a hard-working
minister who would be hard to replace.
Chimene was among hundreds of ruling party officials who
were shown the exit door for their alleged links to First Lady Grace Mugabe’s
G40 faction.
MDC-T Manicaland chairman David Chimhini yesterday said he
would not shed tears over Chimene’s political fall, describing her as arrogant
and reckless.
Chimhini claimed that Chimene invited misfortune upon
herself when she told Zanu PF supporters at a rally last year that God had
inflicted MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai with cancer of the colon as punishment
for standing up against President Robert Mugabe.
“Mandiitawepi Chimene has been very vocal about the
opposition. She was reckless and arrogant, what goes around comes around. She
is finished as a politician, no one is sympathising with her. How do you wish
somebody to die?” Chimhini said.
“She was a kingmaker in Manicaland, she wanted control of
everything in the province. She believed that she was the alpha and omega of
the party in Manicalaland and she is now suffering for that.’’
Centre for Natural Resources Governance director Farai
Maguwu described Chimene as a hard worker.
“I attended a meeting where she was addressing heads of
departments in the public service, where she was demanding performance. She was
passionate about her job and development of the province. I know people had
other perceptions, but this is how I got to know her,’’ he said.
Another opposition leader who refused to be named described
Chimene as “a drunken thug” who did not deserve to occupy a top government position.
Former Zanu PF Manicaland deputy spokesperson Charles
Samuriwo said: “For now, let’s just support what is happening as we are
entering a new era. I left the party after the 2013 elections because I did not
subscribe to what was happening in the party because expulsions were now part
of Zanu PF.
“The ideals of the party of 1963 have long been forgotten
in terms of patriotism. Pan-Africanism has been reduced to hero-worshipping.
The agenda of the party has been narrowed in support of an individual.’’
Newsday
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