Zanu falls apart

The partys chairman for Manicaland, Basil Nyabadza, resigned publicly at the December congress. He angrily accused the party of excluding Manyikas (from the eastern parts of Zimbabwe), claiming that the sidelining of Didymus Mutasa, the provinces godfather, from the presidium was evidence of this. This week, Zanu (PF) appointed Mike Madiro a new chairman for the volatile Manicaland province.

Nyabadza resigned after Mutasa was defeated by Simon Khaya-Moyo for the position of Zanu (PF) chairman, a position left vacant by John Nkomo, who has now been appointed to replace the late vice-president Joseph Msika as co-deputy party leader and state vice-president.

Herbert Chitepo

The last Zanu (PF) politician from Manicaland to serve in the presidium was Herbert Chitepo, the late lawyer and Zanu (PF) chairman who was killed in a bomb explosion in Lusaka in 1975. Nyabadza said the tribal representation in the Zanu (PF) top four confirmed at the congress – Mugabe, Joice Mujuru, John Nkomo and Simon Khaya-Moyo was equally split between the Zezurus and Ndebeles, and that once again, this represented the sidelining of politicians from the Manyika tribal grouping. He said the other two tribal cliques, the Karangas, who mainly occupy Masvingo and Midlands provinces in the south, and the Manyikas, in the Manicaland regions were apoplectic with fury, demanding tribal balance and insisting that the positions of first secretary, the two second secretaries and chairman should be circulated between the four main ethnic groups in the country, not privatised by the Zezurus only.

Eating itself up

By his own admission, Mugabe has bemoaned the widening rifts and told his followers last month the party was “eating itself up” through infighting. Mugabe spoke with unusual candour about the divisions within Zanu (PF). Madiro will be deputised by Dorothy Mabika. The province had also attempted to rope in Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono, electing him in absentia as secretary for finance. Gono, however, rejected Zanu (PF)’s poisoned chalice, saying his current responsibilities as central bank chief ruled out a political role.

The previous Nyabadza-led executive has been rejigged, and now includes war veterans leader Joseph Chinotimba, outgoing Manicaland governor, Chris Mushowe, Frederick Majachane and Madiro. In his acceptance speech, Madiro lamented the infighting and rallied supporters to unite: “There is need for Zanu (PF) members to rise above petty issues and revive the party status,” he said. “Manicaland ndimi. I am calling on all party members to adopt a paradigm shift. We need to restore the province as a Zanu (PF) stronghold.” The Zimbabwean understands an “extra ordinary coordination committee” has been established, to mobilise dwindling support for Mugabe in the province. Tribal in-fighting is not confined to the provinces. At the executive level, the party is also riven by factions the main two being led by Emmerson Mnangagwa and Solomon Mujuru.