MUTARE — Zanu PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa has blasted a faction loyal to Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa accusing some of its members of being “sell-outs”.
REPORT BY CLAYTON MASEKESA
Mutasa said it was clear that Vice-President Joice Mujuru was second in line for Zanu PF after President Robert Mugabe.
He said it was agreed at the party congress in 2004 that Mujuru be elevated to the post of Vice-President ahead of Mnangagwa.
“We all agreed unanimously. Now we are surprised that there are some people like Mnangagwa who are now leading another faction claiming that they want to take over the party. Anyone who objects the legitimacy of Mai Mujuru as the Vice-President of the party, then that person does not belong to Zanu PF,” said Mutasa.
Mutasa, currently on the spotlight after Zanu PF big wigs in Manicaland recently wrote a petition to Mugabe accusing him of dictatorship and causing divisions, said no one had dared openly challenge Mujuru in the past congress.
“In all those congresses those that are against Mai Mujuru would be quiet. Now some other people are now causing divisions, is it because she is a woman?” he asked.
“Zanu PF is a strong party and Mai Mujuru was put in that position because of her sound track record and good deeds in the party and no one should object that. She is our leader. Those that are fanning factionalism are sell-outs and they are perpetuating the destruction of the party.”
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Mutasa revealed that more big names from Zanu PF have been implicated in illegal diamond dealing, prejudicing the country of millions of dollars.
He said the recent suspension of provincial chairman, Mike Madiro, youth chairman, Tawanda Mukodza and three others on allegations that they defrauded diamond mining companies was just “a tip of the iceberg”.
“I have received a petition from concerned party members who were implicating very big names from Zanu PF who are illegally dealing in diamonds from Chiadzwa. This is going to expose some very senior party officials who have been extorting money from diamond mining companies and allegedly converting the money to their own use,” he said.
He said the likes of Madiro and Mukodza were “just small fish, but there are bigger fish that have been implicated”.
Mutasa said investigations were in progress, warning that the names of those implicated would soon be made public.
He said Mugabe was aware of all the illegal diamond deals and would soon act against the suspects.
Mutasa said he was “baffled” that people from Manicaland were not benefitting from the diamond proceeds yet they were the owners of the precious mineral resource.
“I am very concerned and at the same time surprised thatpeople in Manicaland are not benefitting from their resources. Now and again diamonds in Chiadzwa are benefitting influential people outside Manicaland.
“It is not a secret that the people of Manicaland are the bona fide beneficiaries of the resources,” said the under-fire politician.
He said he was not happy that headquarters and all chairpersons of diamond mining companies in Manicaland were based in Harare.
