Speaking to The Zimbabwean following remarks by Zanu (PF) Chief Whip, Jorum Gumbo, that he was sidelining senior leaders in the province, the party spindoctor lambasted his rivals for dividing the party.
‘‘I am tired of these people who are making a lot of noise and causing confusion in the Midlands. If they have support of the people, let them show it. They are free to form a party of their own if they think they are popular,’’ said Gumbo, who denied sidelining the provincial leadership when engaging party structures.
The Chief Whip had alleged in an earlier interview that Gumbo tended to go straight to the grassroots and circumvented senior members of the party’s Central Committee.
‘‘I am a senior member of the party and a celebrated cadre of the armed struggle. Who is Jorum Gumbo to question my modus operandi? He is my junior and should just shut up. Jorum and his colleagues are silly to think that I will grovel before them. The party has a hierarchy that should be followed and I don’t have any duty reporting to this group of people (Jorum’s),” he said.
Rugare is Jorum’s nephew and reportedly belongs to the faction led by Vice President Joice Mujuru. Party insiders say Jason Machaya, the Provincial Chairman, and Francis Nhema, are also in the Mujuru camp.
The chief whip is said to belong to the Mnangagwa faction that is fighting a turf war with the rival Mujuru faction in the Midlands province.
He recently told The Zimbabwean that the party’s politburo had misdirected itself by dissolving District Coordinating Committees without consulting the grassroots.
The dissolution came after Mnangagwa had won most of the influential positions across the country in a restructuring exercise ahead of anticipated general elections.
Post published in: News