ZANU PF bigwigs, fighting for survival, are angling to manipulate the party’s district elections, sources say.
Zanu PF districts are a key organ whose office bearers form the Electoral College for the party’s primary elections and provincial elections.
In Mashonaland Central, the ruling party’s chairman for the province Kazembe Kazembe whose back has been against the ropes in the province is facing accusations of plotting to manipulate the province’s political district elections to swing the outcome to his favour.
Kazembe is facing competition in provincial elections expected soon where he will be challenged by former Education minister Lazarus Dokora, businessman James Makamba and former MP Christopher Chitindi, among others.
However, the battle lines are already being drawn at the party district elections that get underway today running up to September 26.
“Mashonaland Central will today hold its Provincial Executive meeting to discuss modalities for the holding of the elections,” said a Zanu PF official who declined to be named as they do not have authority to speak to the media.
“Regrettably, a plot has been hatched by the Kazembe cabal to manipulate the political district elections so that the outcome will swing in his favour. For starters, they want to deploy DCC officials from one district to another remote district, in a fashion that the big districts that are Dokora strongholds are manned by his mercenaries who will rig elections in favour of some candidates who will vote.”
Dokora was last week targeted by internal party rivals who used claw hammers to smash the former minister’s vehicle.
The jostling for positions come as Kazembe has been trying, without luck, to line his ducks in a roll.
Recently he announced co-options that were later nullified by the party’s Commissariat.
“His failure to mobilise and arrange rallies a record five times long foretold his fate at this coming election,” an insider said.
Kazembe declined to comment on the accusations of attempting to manipulate the electoral process.
Other hotspots which could also see sparks flying during the district elections include the Midlands province where the jostling for top posts is being battled out by Local Government minister July Moyo who is fronting one camp opposed to the other led by Joram Gumbo.
In Mashonaland West, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka is contending with acting Chairperson Abia Mujere and aspiring chairperson Vengai Musengi
The district elections are part of Zanu PF’s massive root-and-branch shake-up which will see its entire structures, right from the cell to the central committee, being reconfigured through elections.
