Mash Central presents open goal for CCC amid Zanu internal factional fights
MAZOWE – Citizens Coalition for Change will face a divided Zanu PF in Mashonaland Central as the province has degenerated into factional war zone between top Zanu PF officials.
So bad are the fights that some have resorted to using the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to settle personal scores.
Mashonaland Central was among the ruling party’s strongholds in the 2018 harmonised elections with the opposition, then constituted as the MDC Alliance, failing to get a single seat from Mashonaland Central’s 18 contested seats.
There are 210 contestable seats in Zimbabwe’s national assembly and the province could have a major say in the way the ballot swings in make-or-break elections scheduled for 2023.
“The fights have turned nasty the protagonists have resorted to causing the arrest of each other on spurious charges. Take for instance Maxmore Njanji a former senior Cottco official is eying Mazowe Central seat, currently held by Sydney Chidamba. He has been arrested twice and released on bail but the charges are clearly created to make sure he doesn’t contest in the primary elections,” said a Zanu PF insider.
“Njanji is far more popular more popular than Chidamba. Mazowe Central has in the past been won by the opposition. The sitting MP realizes he is losing the battle against and is resorting to uncouth tactics.”
Observers said Nelson Chamisa’s CCC will face an open goal and can easily advantage of the chaos to reclaim the seat and ultimately reduce presidential votes for Zanu PF in the whole province.
“At provincial level, the pple in the province feel that Zanu PF rigged the provincial chairmanship post against Tafadzwa Musarara in favour of Kazembe Kazembe. This has divided Mash Central. It means the two popular politicians in the province are being ostracized with Njanji being regularly arrested at the instigation of his rivals in the province and Tafadzwa Musarara, the Zanu-PF district coordinating committee (DCC) chairperson for Mazowe,” said another insider.
Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) officials Pius Manamike, Maxmore Njanji, Fortunate Molai and Pierpont Moncroix Ltd director Chiedza Danha were arrested last week together with Gokwe-Nembudziya Member of Parliament Justice Mayor Wadyajena on allegations of fraud and money laundering involving US$5 million.
Zanu PF will hold its 7th Congress from 26th to the 29th October at the Robert Mugabe Square in Harare with the presidential candidacy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa expected to be endorsed.
