The former Ambassador to South Africa castigated party seniors for masterminding the rampant vote buying that destroyed the District Coordinating Committee exercise. “There are people among us who are hand-picking their candidates and I should warn them that they face a backlash from the party,” he added.
The party has been at pains to clarify the dissolution of the DCCs. Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa said this would strengthen the party by allowing direct communication between the executive and the grassroots. “The Central Committee took the decision after noting that certain individuals were abusing the structure to advance their own selfish decisions,” said Mutasa.
Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa had scored sweeping victory against his rival, Joyce Mujuru, in the DCC elections with his loyals claiming most of the positions. The Mujuru camp reportedly complained, leading to the dissolution of the DCCs.