THE battle for the control of Matabeleland North by Zanu PF factions is heating up with one of the camps accused of resorting to dirty tactics.
Former Tsholotsho senator Believe Gaule, who is said to be
a staunch ally of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is seeking to topple
Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs minister Richard Moyo as provincial
chairperson.
Gaule, a former Zanu PF district coordinating committee
chairman for Tsholotsho, is said to be enjoying an upper hand in the race as
shown by the outcome of district elections held so far.
In the Hwange district elections held last weekend, Reeds
Dube who is fighting in Gaule’s corner polled 475 votes against 65 for Gift
Nyoni, a Moyo supporter.
Gaule is said to be controlling five districts, which are
his home area of Tsholotsho, Bubi, Binga, Nkayi and Hwange.
On his part Moyo has Umguza in his pocket while Lupane is
split between the two protagonists.
Gaule’s supporters are accusing Moyo
of employing dirty tactics like
threatening to suspend some districts chairpersons for refusing to
support him.
He is also accused of using state resources for his
campaign activities.
Sources said during the Hwange elections, Moyo’s teams were
distributing t-shirts with messages such as “Givie (Gift Nyoni) ngena (get in),
Reeds phuma (get out)”.
A message distributed through a WhatsApp group and written
by one James Phiri from Hwange read: “On Saturday Lwendulo will decide whether
to accept and follow Gaule or remain Zanu PF with Gift Nyoni.
“The good thing about Hwange people is that they will
pretend to like you, but take you out through the ballot. Lwendulo think and
act wisely.”
Gaule was one of the
people behind the Dinyane High School
meeting in 2004, which was later to be known as the Tsholotsho Declaration.
A total of six provincial chairpersons namely Philip
Chiyangwa (Mashonaland West), now late Themba Ncube (Bulawayo), July Moyo
(Midlands), Jacob Mudenda (Matabeleland North), Lloyd Siyoka (Matabeleland
South), Daniel Shumba (Masvingo) and Mike Madiro (Manicaland) attended the
gathering under the guise of a prize
giving ceremony.
It later turned out the meeting was meant to push for Mnangagwa to take over
the post of vice president ahead of
Joice Mujuru.
The vice presidency
had become vacant following the death of Simon Muzenda.
However, at the end of the day then president Robert Mugabe
supported Mujuru and Mnangagwa’s
plans were scuttled.
At the Dinyane meeting Gaule had brought a leopard skin for
Mnangagwa who was supposed to the guest of honour at the prize giving day
ceremony, but ended up not turning up due to an emergency politburo meeting and
Patrick Chinamasa had to stand in for him.
Artefacts such as leopard skins are only reserved for
royalty in the African set-up.
Gaule and Moyo could not be reached for comment yesterday. Standard
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