VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mangagwa’s Team Lacoste camp has
vowed to fight back the recent suspension of its four allies in Masvingo and
Midlands provincial executive, claiming the suspensions were unconstitutional,
as none of the affected provinces had raised any charges against the quartet.
The VP’s allies claimed the suspensions, which could
demobilise the camp ahead of the party’s December extra-ordinary congress, were
allegedly engineered by their G40 rivals to derail Mnangagwa’s bid to challenge
President Robert Mugabe’s candidature.
Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere last week
suspended Masvingo provincial chairman, Ezra Chadzamira, provincial youth
league political commissar Brian Munyoro, Midlands acting vice-chairman Godwin
Shiri and provincial youth secretary for administration Justice Mayor
Wadyajena, accusing them of fanning factionalism, disrespecting the party
leadership and abusing social media.
The four were believed to be staunch supporters of the
under-fire Vice-President, who faces allegations of State capture and plotting
to unseat Mugabe ahead of next year’s general elections.
“A lawsuit or legal recourse against constitutional abusers
is allowed in the Zanu PF constitution. Therefore, from hence forth, it’s game
on. The purported suspension of the four cadres is unconstitutional, null and
void. Section 70 of the Zanu PF constitution says the Zanu PF national
disciplinary committee (NDC) can direct disciplinary
proceedings to be transferred to the NDC before they are
completed or commenced,” a highly-placed source privy to the goings-on said.
“Transferring disciplinary proceedings means there has to
be a lower disciplinary committee transferring disciplinary proceedings to the
NDC. In this case, it’s the provincial disciplinary committee that is supposed
to transfer disciplinary proceedings to the NDC upon request by the NDC.”
The source added: “They (suspensions) are a ploy to weaken
VP Mnangagwa ahead of the extra-ordinary congress. They do not only violate the
Zanu PF constitution, but go against the grain and spirit of two things
President Mugabe has said. He said suspensions must stop and that party
processes must be followed when a matter arises — none of the two has been
adhered to.”
The sources said a resistance plan was being hatched to
counter the move.
Midlands provincial spokesperson Cornelius Mupereri
yesterday said a plan would only be unveiled after today’s executive meeting.
“We will release a statement after a meeting tomorrow
(today) . . . we are still not aware where the charges are emanating from
because as a province, we have no complaints against Shiri and Wadyajena. Our
constitution is clear on how disciplinary issues are carried out, but I cannot
say much because we have not been favoured with the letters of suspension,” he
said.
Another source close to Mnangagwa accused Kasukuwere of
applying double standards, whereby he “rushed” to suspend the quartet after
allowing Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and Manicaland Provincial
Affairs Mandiitawepi Chimene to go scot-free after publicly dressing down the
Vice-President on several occasions.
The sources said Kasukuwere and his G40 handlers’ selective
application of the law in Zanu PF showed that the charges were nothing, but
blatant fabrications meant to push out Mnangagwa from the succession race.
“They are pruning people perceived to be backing him with
the hope that he will be left as a seating duck. If they want to isolate the
VP, they have to fire everyone except Moyo and Kasukuwere,” NewsDay further
heard.
Efforts to contact Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo,
administration secretary Ignatius Chombo and Kasukuwere were fruitless as their
mobile phones went unanswered yesterday. Newsday
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