THE ruling Zanu-PF party has barred party youths from
contesting for provincial chairpersons' posts, a decision likely to create more
rifts as youths were pushing to take over senior positions.
Addressing the party's Bulawayo interim provincial
executive yesterday, Zanu-PF national political commissar Victor Matemadanda
said: "That is the issue we have today. I did not say the district
co-ordinating chairpersons are the ones who should contest for the provincial
chairperson's post. Anyone of the 25 can contest, a woman, a man, war veterans,
but not the youths of course. Youths can contest in other structures, but not
as chairpersons. We cannot have a province of kings and queens being led by the
youths."
He also said the party was confident of bagging all the 22
parliamentary seats left vacant following the recent recall of MDC Alliance
Members of Parliament by the Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T and use that to
strengthen its support base ahead of the 2023 elections.
"There are going to be by-elections. They (the MDCs)
have created those by-elections and they will be defeated," Matemadanda
said.
"Even previous by-elections, we have increased our
numbers and it shows people have accepted Zanu-PF policies. That is why there
are social media hypes to say this and that because the countries that have
been supporting the opposition are seeing that the opposition is dead. After
the by-elections, they will be quiet because we are going to defeat them."
Khupe recalled more than 21 MDC Alliance MPs from
Parliament saying they had ceased to be members of her party following a moot
Supreme Court ruling on March 30 this year which recognised her as legitimate
interim MDC-T leader following the death of its founder Morgan Tsvangirai in
2018.
Matemadanda rubbished claims of a rift between President
Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga.
"Our party is
strong, very strong. Our leadership is very united. Don't be told lies, our
leadership is solid. There are people who are trying to give the narratives
that our leadership is not united. Those are lies. The party is united and we
are strong,"
Matemadanda said Zanu-PF was readying for "cadreship
building" and blasted some elements within the party pushing for dialogue
between Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa.
Matemadanda also attacked United States President Donald
Trump, accusing him of fuelling chaos in Zimbabwe by sponsor-ing protests
through civil society organisations and the opposition MDC Alliance.
"They (opposition) think things won't work without the
Americans or the British, others brag that they are a phone call away from
Trump. The sell-outs call America and even resort to faking kidnappings,"
he said.
"There is a (Economic Freedom Fighters leader, Julius)
Malema in South Africa who thinks he knows Zimbabwe more than we do. Zanu PF
and ANC [African National Congress] are sister parties. We want to maintain the
relations because we know that after defeating Zanu PF today, they will go
after ANC and other sister lib-eration movements," he said.
The Zanu PF national political commissar accused Malema of
working with exiled former Zanu PF members based in South Africa to portray
Zimbabwe as a country in crisis.
"We want to know who our real enemy is. Malema and
(former Local Government minister Saviour) Kasukuwere say people were denied
their rights to march, yet those who organised say they did not want to do
that. Malema is a fool. You can say now that those we have here are stooges,
the pushing factor is from outside - the Trumps when they blow their
trumpets," he said. Newsday
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