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Conrad Mupesa, Mashonaland West Bureau

ZANU-PF Mashonaland West province has unanimously recommended the expulsion of renegade war veteran and Zanu-PF central committee member, Cde Blessed Geza, from the party.

At the same time, the War Veterans League has also denounced Cde Geza, slamming him for attacking President Mnangagwa.

In Mashonaland West, the recommendation to expel Cde Geza was made at a meeting held at the North Court in Zvimba East Constituency yesterday that attracted thousands of supporters from grassroots to senior party levels.

During the meeting, calls to expel Cde Geza for undermining and threatening President Mnangagwa were loud and unanimous.

Zanu-PF Politburo member and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi, who addressed the crowd, said the decision to expel Cde Geza stems from the utterances he made abusing the name of the party.

Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi

“Individuals are allowed to democratically air their grievances but using the name of the party and one’s position to attack our leadership is uncalled for. The attack on President Mnangagwa by Cde Geza shows that he is not well versed with the party’s constitution, which calls for members to respect their leaders.

“We cannot fold our hands and let Cde Geza go haywire. If he wanted to denounce the President, he should have waited for the party’s Congress slated for 2027, where any member is allowed to challenge the sitting First Secretary and President as we elect a new leader and presidential candidate,” he said.

“Our party’s Constitution, and specifically Article Three, requires us to be honest and loyal to Zanu-PF and its leaders who were elected by the masses.”

Cde Geza, who was also castigated for boycotting Provincial Co-ordinating Committee (PCC), Executive Committee (PCC) and Central Committee meetings, was accused of dragging people of Mashonaland West into his unfounded claims against the President.

“Nobody in Mashonaland West is supporting his shenanigans, as a province, we solidly stand firm behind the resolution to extend the President’s second term by two years so that he realises his Vision 2030. We have since resolved to recommend the expulsion of Cde Geza and the National Chairman, Cde Oppah Muchinguri, is seized with our decision. It now lies with the National Disciplinary Committee,” Cde Ziyambi said.

The party, he noted, was also going to deal with rogue elements that attack the Presidium.

Provincial chairman, Cde Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, said the utterances by Cde Geza were treasonous, hence the decision by the province to expel him.

“Cde Geza has been out of line for a long time and if he wants to attack our President, he should leave Zanu-PF and oppose him freely. Cde Geza isn’t the voice of Zanu-PF in Mashonaland West.

“We are solidly behind President Mnangagwa, and as Mashonaland West, we have recommended that Cde Geza be expelled,” she said.

President Mnangagwa

Zanu-PF central committee member and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Marian Chombo, who is also a member of the National Disciplinary Committee, urged Cde Geza to publicly retract his utterances and apologise before the committee takes action against him.

“Cde Geza should publicly retract his statements and apologise to the Mashonaland West public before we take any action against him,” she said.

Provincial Youth Chairperson Cde Tapiwa Masenda and Women’s League Chairlady Cde Constance Shamu said the two leagues were solidly behind President Mnangagwa and condemned Cde Geza’s stance.

“We will not fold our hands and let Geza attack our President. As the vanguard of the party, we are warning Cde Geza against his utterances,” the youth chairperson said.

Central Committee members from Sanyati political administration district Cdes Thomson Sanangurai, Absolom Zvidzai and Ephraim Chengeta castigated Cde Geza’s rants and recommended his expulsion from the party.

In an interview in Harare yesterday, the party’s Secretary for War Veterans, Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees, and Restrictees, Cde Douglas Mahiya, said the decision to extend President Mnangagwa’s term of office beyond 2028 reflects the will of the majority and seeks to ensure the President completes his vision of transforming Zimbabwe into an Upper-Middle-Income Society by 2030.

“There is no war veteran, or any authority claiming ownership of participating in the liberation struggle who can tell the party what to do, for as long as you are a group of people and you are not the majority.

“And we also have this principle of the revolution, which says the minority is subordinate to the majority. So that principle tells you that there is no group of people who will decide what the party in Zimbabwe will do, but the party decides collectively,” responded Cde Mahiya to a question on what the League will do regarding Cde Geza.

The ruling party has started implementing resolutions from the 2024 Annual National People’s Conference with the Second Republic having received plaudits for availing title deeds to land owners.

The decision has also been made to start implementing the process for term extension for President Mnangagwa.

Meanwhile, the Zanu PF Masvingo provincial executive has suspended Gutu East Member of Parliament Cde Benjamin Ganyiwa and Chiredzi North National Assembly member Cde Roy Bhila for allegedly bringing the name of the party into disrepute and fanning division among party members.

Cde Bhila serves as the party’s provincial Secretary for Finance while Cde Ganyiwa is the party’s provincial Secretary for Business Development.

Cde Ganyiwa is facing four charges, including holding a “secret” meeting at his homestead without informing district and provincial party structures, which the party considered as an act of disloyalty.

Additionally, Cde Ganyiwa allegedly promoted factionalism by inviting members from other constituencies to the meeting.

The party’s provincial chairman, Cde Robson Mavhenyengwa, said the two were issued with prohibition orders and are not allowed to carry out any party business unless their alleged cases are cleared at the National Disciplinary Committee.

Cde Mavhenyengwa said no individual is above the party’s rules and regulations.

“No one is bigger than the party, the disciplinary process will be followed through, regardless of one’s position within the party,” he said.