Fights erupt over Mliswa’s post

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FACTIONALISM in Zanu PF spread to the grassroots in Mashonaland West when supporters of rival legislators fought in Magunje yesterday.

FACTIONALISM in Zanu PF spread to the grassroots in Mashonaland West when supporters of rival legislators fought in Magunje yesterday.

BY NUNURAYI JENA

Sources said supporters of embattled provincial chairman Temba Mliswa disrupted a meeting that was being addressed by Magunje MP Godfrey Gandawa.

“Some rowdy youths, who appeared drunk, came and disrupted the meeting at Magunje growth point which was convened by Gandawa. He was updating his constituency that Mliswa was no longer the provincial chairman,” said the source.

Members from both sides were arrested by Magunje police but were released without being charged after the scuffle was regarded as internal.

Police are not taking any action when Zanu PF members fight, presumably they are under instructions from their superiors.

Gandawa confirmed that some drunken youths headed by one Nigel Murambiwa came and disrupted his Magunje District Committee meeting.

“Some drunk youths headed by Nigel Murambiwa, Mliswa’s driver, came and disrupted our meeting at Magunje and we reported the case to police. We are still to hear from them [police],” Gandawa said.

Mliswa said Murambiwa was not his driver but deputy secretary for finance in Hurungwe district. Murambiwa said he only objected to moves to refer to Ziyambi Ziyambi as acting chair of the province.

Ziyambi is the deputy chairperson.

In a statement, Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial secretary for administration Kindness Paradza said Mliswa had not been booted out as chair of the province. This came after the state media said the former fitness trainer had been relieved of his duties following the passing of a no confidence vote on him early this month.

Paradza said Mliswa’s case was following due process and procedure and has been referred to a disciplinary committee chaired by the national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo.

“For the avoidance of doubt and to make things perfectly clear, it is standard and normal practice to have pending issues investigated by a disciplinary committee. Once a verdict has been made, my office will receive the official communication from National [leadership] in black and white and that position will subsequently be disseminated through my office and that of the Zanu PF Secretary for Information and Publicity, Rugare Gumbo,” Paradza said.

He said Ziyambi Ziyambi does not hold the position of the acting chairman and subsequently remains the vice-chairperson for Mashonaland West Province.