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Harare Bureau/Chronicle Reporters
Zanu-PF Women’s League members countrywide demonstrated yesterday demanding the immediate ouster of the organ’s deputy chairperson Cde Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo and secretary for finance Cde Sarah Mahoka for undermining the authority of the wing’s Secretary and First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe.

Cde Mahoka also stands accused of denigrating Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Presidential spokesperson Cde George Charamba.

The placard-wielding women held demonstrations in all the party’s 10 provincial offices, before handing over petitions to  their respective leaders for onward submission to the First Lady and the party’s leadership.

They demanded that Cdes Mahoka and Moyo’s handlers, whom they said were well known, be fired or demoted.

It is alleged some Zanu-PF bigwigs (names withheld) spent the better part of yesterday making covert manoeuvres in a bid to block the protests.

Apart from undermining the authority of the First Lady, the two stand accused of embezzling money, which they sourced from local prophets, business people and corporates using Dr Mugabe’s name and without her knowledge.

The Women’s League wants Cde Mahoka fired for her untoward behaviour during a rally at the Zanu-PF headquarters last year where she likened Zanu-PF Second Secretary and VP Mnangagwa to a duck for his silence on the Zanu-PF succession matrix.

At the same rally, the Hurungwe East legislator further challenged President Mugabe to pronounce himself if he had authorised his spokesperson Cde Charamba to give an interview to ZiFM radio.

Both incidences, the women said, were “a high degree of insubordination”.

In Bulawayo scores of placard-waving demonstrators gathered at the provincial headquarters, Davies Hall, denouncing the pair for allegedly undermining the party’s leadership and engaging in corruption.

The women accused Cdes Moyo and Mahoka of creating parallel structures and fanning factionalism in the party.

They were also accused of allegedly soliciting for funds using the Women’s League which they  then diverted to their personal use.

Cde Mahoka was also accused of insulting Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Addressing the women after the demonstration, the party’s Bulawayo provincial chairperson, Cde Eva Bitu said they want a decision to be taken against the two.

“I can’t say much, this is not my meeting but I will take your concerns to the First Lady Amai Mugabe who will decide the way forward. What you are doing here is being done by other provinces throughout the country. On Friday all provinces are going to assemble here in Bulawayo for a follow-up demonstration,” said Cde Bitu.

She said no one in the party could insult the First Family and go unpunished.

“Let’s respect our First Lady and we still pledge our loyalty to President Mugabe who is the party’s centre of power,” she said.

In Lupane in Matabeleland North, close to 200 provincial party members drawn mainly from the Women’s League and Youth Wing from across the province gathered at the party’s old provincial offices carrying banners with messages denouncing Cdes Moyo and Mahoka.

The demonstrators sang revolutionary songs, accusing the two members of undermining the First Lady and selling out.

Matabeleland North Women’s League provincial Secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Sithembubuhle Sibanda addressed the demonstrators.

“We support our mother because she has helped us dearly with licences for fishing, chicken projects and now she wants to start irrigation projects for us.

We will support her throughout.

Phansi loSandi (Moyo) loMahoka (down with Sandi and Mahoka),” she said.

In Matabeleland South provincial capital Gwanda, scores of placard-waving women from all the seven districts sang revolutionary songs denouncing the pair.

Addressing the gathering after a march to Zanu-PF’s provincial headquarters, Women’s League Matabeleland Provincial Chairperson Cde Sister Bhebhe said President Mugabe was the only centre of power.

“So we are saying down with Sandi-Moyo. We therefore would like to join the rest of the country in denouncing Sandi and Mahoka for disrespecting the leadership. Down with those who disrespect Dr Mugabe, if they can’t lead the people then they should go,” she said. “We’re daughters of Zanu-PF who are respectful, so they have failed to respect and for that reason, they should go. Disrespecting the First Lady is an insult to our mother and leader.”

In the Midlands province, members of the Zanu-PF Women’s league from all districts converged at the party’s offices in Kwekwe where they also denounced Cdes Moyo and Mahoka.

The two were accused of corruption, fanning factionalism and tribalism as well as abusing the First Lady’s name.

The women’s league and the youths in the province marched from the city centre to the party’s offices in Kwekwe holding placards denigrating the two national executive members before handing a petition to the league’s provincial chairperson Cde Ellina Shirichena demanding the duo’s immediate expulsion.

Cde Shirichena said the general concerns among members of the women’s league were that Cde Moyo was now overriding Dr Mugabe who is the league’s secretary yet she is the deputy.

She said the women accused Cde Mahoka of abusing funds meant for developmental projects for women and misappropriating resources availed to women and the youths as well as denigrating presidential appointees and undermining the authority of President Mugabe. “I am going to hand over the petition to the party leadership,” she said.

In Masvingo, hundreds of Zanu-PF supporters mainly from the youth and women’s league braved the rains and thronged the Chiefs Hall in Mucheke denouncing  Cdes Moyo and Mahoka.

The protesters were carrying placards and one was written: “Sandi and Mahoka: The chairladies, terrorists.”

Politburo member Senator Shuvai Mahofa who is also Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs accused the two women of misleading party members.

The provincial league secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Ruth Mhungu was cheered by the crowd as she read out some of the messages on the placards.

Some of the messages read: “Sandi hands off provinces” and “Sandi the double dealer, ashungurudza amai, ashungurudza tese”.

The demonstrators handed a petition in a sealed envelope to the league’s provincial chairperson Cde Veronica Makonese, who responded:

“By Monday I would have submitted this petition that contains a list of your grievances against some of our leaders in the Women’s League. I am not going to open this sealed letter and read it because it is not meant for me, but the placards that I am seeing here should be an indication of what is in this petition.”

Cde Mahofa, said the ruling party Women’s League had a history of consistently toeing the party line.

“Ever since the formation of our party (Zanu) in the early 1960s we have never had a situation where members of the Women’s League would try to rebel and sow seeds of confusion in our party, we will never tolerate unruly elements bent on brewing trouble in our party,’’ she said.

In Mashonaland East, the women gathered at the provincial offices in Marondera, with secretary for administration Professor Charity Manyeruke reading out the petition. In their grievances, the women said Cdes Mahoka and Moyo were illegally collecting fuel coupons and cash from the public.

“Mahoka and Moyo were busy demoting national Women’s League leaders and replacing them with their choice without following party procedures and approval from the First Lady,” reads the petition.

“Mahoka refused to listen to the authority of the First Lady when she was asked to excuse herself from a meeting as requested by chairwomen from all provinces. This is a high degree of insubordination.”

In Harare, some of the placards were inscribed: “Sandi and Mahoka handlers bhasopo!”; “Stealing Sisters bring back the money”; “Musangano hauputswe nenhiyo dzeGamatox”; “Sandi, the mother of tribalism”; “No to Sandi and Sarah parallel structures” and “We will cleanse the party of all Sandists.”

Manyame district chairlady Cde Sikhumbuzo Munyawarara, summarised the petition before handing it over to Harare provincial chairlady Cde Joice Kusinamunda at the party’s provincial headquarters in the city.

Said Cde Munyawarara: “It is us women who approached Dr Mugabe to lead us and it is us again defending her from those plotting against her, namely Mahoka and Sandi-Moyo.

“It is clear Sandi-Moyo wants to take over leadership of the Women’s League as she is creating parallel structures. They have abused the First Lady’s name and authority and we should get rid of them now. Go (Cde Kasinamunda) and tell the leadership that we no longer want these two people.”

Cde Kasinamunda chipped in: “As for Mahoka, she attacked VP Mnangagwa and (the Presidential spokesperson) Mr Charamba and we remained quiet and now she is challenging the First Lady even during meetings and we cannot fold our hands.

“It is the President who makes appointments and who is she to challenge our one centre of power?”

The pair, according to Cde Kasinamunda, received $20 000 from Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and shared the loot.

“They claimed the money was for the organisation of a rally meant to celebrate President Mugabe’s successful tenure as African Union chairperson,” she said. All the parties involved in this transaction did not tell Amai (Dr Mugabe) about this donation and chickens only came home to roost when (Prof)

Moyo was arrested. They also took another $100 000 from a local prophet and they shared it among themselves with their handlers.”

In Mashonaland West, members of the Women’s League staged a peaceful demonstration at the provincial party office in Chinhoyi, calling for the ouster of Cdes Mahoka and Sandi-Moyo.

Mashonaland West province sponsored Cde Mahoka’s elevation to the national Women’s League executive. The placard waving women handed a petition to provincial chairlady Cde Angelina Muchemenyi.

The placards read: “Mahoka tapedza newe”, “Mahoka the faction mother”, “Kutuka maVP kutuka VaMugabe”, “Atosvora Amai Atosvora Nesu”.

In Manicaland, women from the party’s eight districts led by their provincial chairperson, Cde Esteri Madhuku-Mlambo, gathered at Mutare Hall where they chanted slogans, denouncing Cdes Moyo and Mahoka.

They had a petition which listed some of the allegations being levelled against Cdes Moyo and Mahoka.

There was a similar march in Mashonaland Central where members of the Women’s League marched to the party offices denouncing Cdes Sandi-Moyo and Mahoka over similar charges.

They waved placards with various messages, which summarised the crimes the duo is accused of.