Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter The Zanu-PF Women’s League in Harare met in Highfield yesterday to reaffirm their support for the appointment...
Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
The Zanu-PF Women’s League in Harare met in Highfield yesterday to reaffirm their support for the appointment of First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe as the Women’s League boss at the party’s elective congress in December.
Led by Cde Cleveria Chizema, the most senior Politburo member in Harare, the women also unreservedly condemned Saturday’s assault of the Harare provincial Youth League deputy chairperson Cde Edison Takataka allegedly at the instigation of Politburo member Cde Tendai Savanhu for backing the First Lady.
The women also called for the immediate dismissal of provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi, whom they accused of working in cahoots with Cde Savanhu to destroy the Zanu-PF Harare province.
The duo also allegedly organised some youths to intimidate people from attending yesterday’s meeting at Mhofu Primary School, the First Family’s traditional polling station.
A report to that effect was made at Machipisa Police Station RRB 2133831. Cde Chizema said said women were fully behind the First Lady’s candidature which was officialised at the Women’s League Conference earlier this month.
It was disturbing and unfair, Cde Chizema said, that some members of the main wing were interfering with their processes and trying to obstruct Amai Mugabe’s ascendancy to the Women’s League top post.
“As women, we gathered here to endorse Amai (Mugabe) because she was endorsed in Mazowe, she was endorsed by the Women’s League and the Youth League conferences,” she said.
“Who does not want to work side by side with the First Lady? There are some men who are rejecting that because they have their own agenda.
“You beat the deputy youth chairman (Cde Takataka) simply because he attended the Mazowe meeting that endorsed the First Lady?
“I am waiting for the President to come back (from China). The President must solve this issue once and forever. It is so disappointing,” a visibly irate Cde Chizema said.
She accused Cdes Midzi and Savanhu of causing unnecessary havoc in Harare province saying the two had also yesterday intimidated some party members in a bid to bar them from attending the Women’s League meeting.
“Chairman uyu (Cde Midzi) naSavanhu have caused a lot of havoc in the province,” she said.
“Izvezvi atyisidzira vanhu kuti vasauye kuno. How can you rate a person who mobilise people not to attend a party meeting? What nonsense is that?”
As such, Cde Chizema said the Midzi executive should be dissolved because it had failed to run the province.
“I am prepared to be suspended. I want to repeat the President’s words at his birthday in Marondera.
“He said Cde (Ray) Kaukonde I want to thank you for the sterling work that you are doing here but if it is possible you should come and chair Harare because Cde Midzi has failed.
“Takadoedza kuti kana munhu wave chair, munhu wese ave shamwari yako, kana asina kukuvhotera yave shamwari yako asi vaMidzi nanhasi vari kuzviramba izvozvo.
“VaMidzi ndichair weprovince ino but am I am the leader of this province politically so I want to support the President’s words in Marondera that Cde Midzi has failed to run this province,” she said amid ululations and deafening cheers from the crowd.
The crowd started to sing denouncing Cde Midzi saying “Tikati fambe fambe todzura Midzi.”
However, Cde Midzi dismissed Cde Chizema’s accucations as “utter rubbish.”
Cde Midzi added: “I do not respond to public statements that are made outside the formal framework.” Cde Savanhu could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was unreachable.
Cde Midzi said yesterday’s meeting was unsanctioned and dismissed Cde Chizema’s claims that she was the leader of Harare province.
He said President Mugabe made it clear that provinces were led by provincial chairpersons.
Contacted for comment Cde Savanhu denied the allegations levelled against him saying Cde Chizema was not in touch with politics of the province.
He said Harare province represented by its chair lady Cde Angeline Matambanadzo, was fully behind the First Lady and they endorsed her candidature in Mazowe.
He said party procedure did not allow Politburo members to preside over provincial meetings.
“Politburo members should not preside over provincial meetings and again it is unfortunate that as a Politburo member Cde Chizema chose to go and address an unsanctioned meeting,” he said.
Cde Savanhu said: “As Politburo members we have a platform to air our views either in the Politburo or the Central Committee.”
Cde Savanhu said a good leader should deliver votes to his or her party but Cde Chizema’s Highfield constituency performed badly in the last elections where she garnered a paltry 2 000 votes.
Zanu-PF Central Committee member Cde Sabina Thembani, said it was not clear where all the hullaballoo over the Women’s League chair post was coming from because no one had expressed interest to contest it.
She said the current chairperson (Cde Oppah Muchinguri) offered the post to the First Lady and it was clear that there was a lot of politics at play beyond the Women’s League Secretary post.
“Because of the succession issue, there are some who think that if the First Lady assumes that post that may foil some of their plans. She is going to be the chairperson of the Women’s League as was requested by the women,” she said.
“As a party, we should be seen promoting peace and if we are seen condoning violence, we would have failed as leadership.
“If the newspaper reports are true, then we regret that because it should not be like that.”
She said there was nothing amiss for Amai Mugabe to lead the Women’s League because even the late First Lady Sally Mugabe was an active political player.
Women’s League member Cde Agnes Musarurwa, said the First Lady was already the Women’s League boss in waiting.
She said as First Lady, there was nothing wrong for the First Lady to lead the Women’s League.
“We condemn men who are beating the youths for supporting the First Lady,” she said.
“Amai Mugabe was requested by the Women to lead them and we actually wonder why the men are not happy with that.”
Before the meeting, there were some skirmishes among some members of the Youth League.
Two youths members, Cdes Peter Mushonga and Penlope Makomeya were assaulted by their colleagues.
They were accused of signing a petition urging youth members to pass a vote of no confidence in the current youth chair Cde Gomwe.
The two reported their case at Machipisa Police Station where a docket was opened.
The Zanu-PF Women’s League in Harare met in Highfield yesterday to reaffirm their support for the appointment of First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe as the Women’s League boss at the party’s elective congress in December.
Led by Cde Cleveria Chizema, the most senior Politburo member in Harare, the women also unreservedly condemned Saturday’s assault of the Harare provincial Youth League deputy chairperson Cde Edison Takataka allegedly at the instigation of Politburo member Cde Tendai Savanhu for backing the First Lady.
The women also called for the immediate dismissal of provincial chairman Cde Amos Midzi, whom they accused of working in cahoots with Cde Savanhu to destroy the Zanu-PF Harare province.
The duo also allegedly organised some youths to intimidate people from attending yesterday’s meeting at Mhofu Primary School, the First Family’s traditional polling station.
 |
| Zanu-PF Youth League vice chairman for Harare Province Cde Edson Takataka (right) greets Politburo member Cde Cleveria Chizema, the most senior party member in Harare, who is flanked by Central Committee members Cdes Sabina Thembani (left) and Idah Mashonganyika during a ceremony to endorse First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe as incoming Secretary for Women Affairs in Highfield, Harare, yesterday. – (Picture by Justin Mutenda) |
It was disturbing and unfair, Cde Chizema said, that some members of the main wing were interfering with their processes and trying to obstruct Amai Mugabe’s ascendancy to the Women’s League top post.
“As women, we gathered here to endorse Amai (Mugabe) because she was endorsed in Mazowe, she was endorsed by the Women’s League and the Youth League conferences,” she said.
“Who does not want to work side by side with the First Lady? There are some men who are rejecting that because they have their own agenda.
“You beat the deputy youth chairman (Cde Takataka) simply because he attended the Mazowe meeting that endorsed the First Lady?
“I am waiting for the President to come back (from China). The President must solve this issue once and forever. It is so disappointing,” a visibly irate Cde Chizema said.
She accused Cdes Midzi and Savanhu of causing unnecessary havoc in Harare province saying the two had also yesterday intimidated some party members in a bid to bar them from attending the Women’s League meeting.
“Chairman uyu (Cde Midzi) naSavanhu have caused a lot of havoc in the province,” she said.
“Izvezvi atyisidzira vanhu kuti vasauye kuno. How can you rate a person who mobilise people not to attend a party meeting? What nonsense is that?”
As such, Cde Chizema said the Midzi executive should be dissolved because it had failed to run the province.
“I am prepared to be suspended. I want to repeat the President’s words at his birthday in Marondera.
“He said Cde (Ray) Kaukonde I want to thank you for the sterling work that you are doing here but if it is possible you should come and chair Harare because Cde Midzi has failed.
“Takadoedza kuti kana munhu wave chair, munhu wese ave shamwari yako, kana asina kukuvhotera yave shamwari yako asi vaMidzi nanhasi vari kuzviramba izvozvo.
“VaMidzi ndichair weprovince ino but am I am the leader of this province politically so I want to support the President’s words in Marondera that Cde Midzi has failed to run this province,” she said amid ululations and deafening cheers from the crowd.
The crowd started to sing denouncing Cde Midzi saying “Tikati fambe fambe todzura Midzi.”
However, Cde Midzi dismissed Cde Chizema’s accucations as “utter rubbish.”
Cde Midzi added: “I do not respond to public statements that are made outside the formal framework.” Cde Savanhu could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was unreachable.
Cde Midzi said yesterday’s meeting was unsanctioned and dismissed Cde Chizema’s claims that she was the leader of Harare province.
He said President Mugabe made it clear that provinces were led by provincial chairpersons.
Contacted for comment Cde Savanhu denied the allegations levelled against him saying Cde Chizema was not in touch with politics of the province.
He said Harare province represented by its chair lady Cde Angeline Matambanadzo, was fully behind the First Lady and they endorsed her candidature in Mazowe.
He said party procedure did not allow Politburo members to preside over provincial meetings.
“Politburo members should not preside over provincial meetings and again it is unfortunate that as a Politburo member Cde Chizema chose to go and address an unsanctioned meeting,” he said.
Cde Savanhu said: “As Politburo members we have a platform to air our views either in the Politburo or the Central Committee.”
Cde Savanhu said a good leader should deliver votes to his or her party but Cde Chizema’s Highfield constituency performed badly in the last elections where she garnered a paltry 2 000 votes.
Zanu-PF Central Committee member Cde Sabina Thembani, said it was not clear where all the hullaballoo over the Women’s League chair post was coming from because no one had expressed interest to contest it.
She said the current chairperson (Cde Oppah Muchinguri) offered the post to the First Lady and it was clear that there was a lot of politics at play beyond the Women’s League Secretary post.
“Because of the succession issue, there are some who think that if the First Lady assumes that post that may foil some of their plans. She is going to be the chairperson of the Women’s League as was requested by the women,” she said.
“As a party, we should be seen promoting peace and if we are seen condoning violence, we would have failed as leadership.
“If the newspaper reports are true, then we regret that because it should not be like that.”
She said there was nothing amiss for Amai Mugabe to lead the Women’s League because even the late First Lady Sally Mugabe was an active political player.
Women’s League member Cde Agnes Musarurwa, said the First Lady was already the Women’s League boss in waiting.
She said as First Lady, there was nothing wrong for the First Lady to lead the Women’s League.
“We condemn men who are beating the youths for supporting the First Lady,” she said.
“Amai Mugabe was requested by the Women to lead them and we actually wonder why the men are not happy with that.”
Before the meeting, there were some skirmishes among some members of the Youth League.
Two youths members, Cdes Peter Mushonga and Penlope Makomeya were assaulted by their colleagues.
They were accused of signing a petition urging youth members to pass a vote of no confidence in the current youth chair Cde Gomwe.
The two reported their case at Machipisa Police Station where a docket was opened.
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