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Tendai Mugabe, Harare Bureau
ZANU-PF must have substantive provincial chairpersons who carry the mandate of the people to easily mobilise voters ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections.

Currently the ruling party has nine of 10 hand-picked officials in an acting capacity, party insiders have said.

This came to the fore last week when the party’s national commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere called a meeting with the acting chairpersons which issued a communique that was seen as pushing factional politics.

The communiqué, read out by Manicaland acting chairperson Cde Samuel Undenge, dwelt on trivial issues such as telling members of the party on whom not to associate with, said the insiders.

It was also alleged the acting provincial chairpersons wanted a meeting with President Mugabe to register their concern over officials’ associations with former party members. This development raised questions about the mandate of acting chairmen and whether they could speak on behalf of the people.

Party officials wondered why elections were not being called to elect substantive provincial chairpersons especially after the party, in its last Politburo meeting, gave a go ahead for the process.

Apart from Cde Richard Moyo of Matabeleland North, all the other provincial chairpersons who attended last week’s meeting were not elected, but were co-opted to replace those who were suspended on various charges.

Observers said the nine acting provincial chairs should, in line with the party constitution, pass the test of support by subjecting themselves to provincial elections.

Zanu-PF deputy legal affairs secretary Cde Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana told our Harare Bureau that the current situation was not healthy. “What is ideal is that provinces are led by elected people,” he said. “Having acting chairpersons everywhere is not ideal and is not good. The ideal situation is that all provinces should be led by chairpersons with mandate from the people.”

A Politburo member who spoke to our Harare Bureau yesterday said all provinces were given the green light to elect substantive chairpersons to represent their interests.

Another said: “These comrades need to be reminded that they are acting in those positions and that the Politburo has cleared all provinces to elect substantive leaders if they so wish. “The issue was dealt with during a meeting that cleared Cdes Biggie Matiza (Mashonaland East), Ezra Chadzamira (Masvingo) and Kizito Chivamba (Midlands) to contest for any post in the party following their suspension early last year,” he said.

“These acting Cdes should also know that they are overstepping their mandate because party policies are not pronounced through provincial chairs. In any case, it is not the duty of provincial leaders to decide who party members should talk to or not talk to. How can we mobilise people from opposition parties and other quarters such as the church to join our party if we do not speak to them? Furthermore, if it is true that the so-called communiqué was authored by the acting provincial chairpersons, Cde Kasukuwere as a senior party member should have advised them that party ideology and understanding cannot be changed by mere association. That is amateurish.”

Said a Central Committee member from Masvingo: “The acting provincial chairpersons should not seek to divide people over petty issues such as who party members should associate with.

“That is akin to saying we should run away from this country simply because there are MDC and ZimPF people or that one should run away from his or her house because of a snake that has entered one of the rooms,” he said.  “Are they saying we should run away from Parliament because there are MDC-T legislators or from Temba Mliswa who was recently pictured in Cde Kasukuwere’s office?”

Cde Kasukuwere refused to talk to our Harare Bureau when contacted for comment on the election of substantive chairpersons.

A provincial member from Mashonaland West said the only way to ensure provincial chairpersons spoke on behalf of the people was to subject them to an election.

“Unlike members of the Presidium and the Politburo who are appointed by the President, provincial chairs should be voted into office,” he said. “It is clear that members serving in acting capacities are not representing the interests of the people.”

Chairs in acting capacities are Cde Bernard Makokove, who was hand-picked following the suspension of Cde Matiza in Mashonaland East; while in Masvingo, Cde Amasa Nenjana came in following the suspension of Cde Chadzamira.

In the Midlands, Cde Joram Gumbo is standing in for Cde Chivamba, who was also suspended, while in Mashonaland West Cde Ephraim Chengeta is acting in the position previously held by Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi, who was also suspended.

Cde Dickson Mafios is acting in Mashonaland Central following the expulsion of Mr Luke Mushore.

Initially, Cde Wonder Mashange was co-opted as the acting chair in Mashonaland Central, but was removed under unclear circumstances and replaced by Cde Mafios.

In Manicaland, Cde Undenge is acting in the position that was left by Mr John Mvundura, who was accused of hobnobbing with Dr Joice Mujuru after her expulsion from Zanu-PF for attempting to unseat President Mugabe illegally.

Cde Charles Tawengwa is acting in Harare province following the death of Cde Amos Midzi and in Matabeleland South Cde Rabelani Choeni is acting in the position that was left by the suspended chair Cde Andrew Langa.

In Bulawayo, Cde Dennis Ndlovu is acting after Cde Callistus Ndlovu was suspended.

A Politburo member said due process was not followed in suspending most of the provincial chairpersons.