More to leave Zanu (PF) after December: Dabengwa

Dabengwa said his partys support base was expanding rapidly, with scores of new members registered daily.

Hinting that the Zanu (PF) annual congress will open floodgates for mass defections from the former liberation movement, Dabengwa revealed that some of Mugabe trusted lieutenants were only waiting for the outcome of the partys annual gathering scheduled for Harare before making public their decision to defect to the newly formed party.

I presume they are just waiting to see what comes out of the congress in terms of positions before announcing their decisions to leave the party, Dabengwa told The Zimbabwean On Sunday last week.

The last sensational defection of a senior Zanu (PF) member was that of former Politburo member Tenjiwe Lesabe in August.

Jostling for top positions within Zanu (PF) has intensified following the death of former vice president Joseph Msika in August.

A catfight has erupted in the southern Matabeleland provinces, with rival camps canvassing for different candidates for the position of vice president of the party and the country.

Zanu (PF) national chairman John Nkomo is widely expected to be elevated to second vice-president of the party.

One faction has endorsed top female politician Angeline Masuku to take over from Nkomo as chairman of the party at a congress scheduled for December.

Masuku joins a growing list of other names including Zimbabwes ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo and Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi whose names have also been forwarded for consideration for the post.

There are however sharp disagreements over Masuku, with some Politburo members preferring Naison Ndlovu for the post.

Nkomos own elevation is also far from sealed amid bickering over his candidature by officials from an opposing Matabeleland camp.

The two posts of chairman and vice-president are open to members of the former PF ZAPU party that merged with Zanu (PF) in 1987.

Although PF ZAPU had national support, the party had its strongest support base in Matabeleland and endorsement from the region is key for anyone wishing to any of the two posts.

The election of a new party vice-president and chairman is not expected to have any meaningful impact on Mugabes continued tenure as president with all party structures already in a stampede to endorse the 85-year old leader to continue at the helm.

Dabengwa said PF ZAPU was continuing with its support mobilisation campaign to market its political philosophy to the public.

The party is eyeing the long-awaited by-elections to fill parliamentary posts left vacant following the dismissal early this year of three legislators from Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambaras Movement for Democratic Change faction.

Mutambaras MDC-M expelled three of its Members of Parliament for Nkayi South, Lupane East and Bulilima East for disciplinary reasons.

Zanu (PF), war vets terrorise teachers

HARARE Zanu (PF) supporters and so-called war veterans are terrorising school teachers in Masvingo province amid reports that some education officials have been hounded out of their schools and houses for being Movement for Democratic Change supporters.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) said youth militias had allegedly set up initiation camps at schools in the politically-volatile province where school children and teachers are trained on Zanu (PF) philosophy and chant party slogans.

At one of the schools, Maunga Secondary School in Gutu, we have received reports that the Zanu (PF) militias are grilling students to parrot the partys slogans, said PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou.

He said a war veteran by the name Chikono was also terrorising teachers at Zvido Primary School in Masvingo district by ordering any perceived MDC supporters to leave the school.

Teachers, especially in remote rural areas, are often targeted for beatings, harassment and torture by ruling Zanu (PF) militia and war veterans who accuse them of campaigning for the MDC party.

Dozens of schools have since the emergence of the MDC in 1999 as a potent rival to Zanu (PF) been forced to close and send children home every election time after teachers were beaten and forcibly expelled from classrooms by ruling party militants as punishment for allegedly backing the former opposition.

Zhou said the volatile political environment at rural schools was one of the main reasons behind the rampant cases of sexual abuse and bullying at such education centres.

He said the youth militias and war veterans were being allowed to commit these crimes with impunity in the knowledge that they would never be prosecuted for the offences.

A report by Plan International published by our sister paper The Zimbabwean last Thursday spoke of widespread sexual abuse, corporal punishment and bullying allegedly committed by teachers.

Our own research has found that sexual abuse in schools has been related to the political violence that has occurred at most of our schools during the past few years, Zhou said.

EU speaks out on Bennett

JOHANNESBURG The European Union (EU) last week expressed concern at the detention of MDC treasurer Roy Bennett, saying his treatment showed a lack of commitment to the Global Political Agreement (GPA).

In statement current EU president Sweden said it was: deeply concerned about the indictment and detention of Roy Bennett, nominated by MDC-T as deputy minister for agriculture in the inclusive government of Zimbabwe.

This action indicates a lack of commitment to the letter and spirit of the Global Political Agreement (GPA). The presidency regrets that politically motivated abuse persists in the country. The decision, together with reports during the last few months of unsubstantiated legal measures taken against several MDC Members of Parliament, is cause for serious concern.

The (EU) presidency calls for an end to politically motivated persecution in Zimbabwe. The EU stands ready to assist the inclusive government in implementing the much-needed reforms included in the GPA in the areas of democracy, respect for human rights and restoration of the rule of law.

The parties to the GPA agreed last year to build a society free of violence, fear, intimidation and hatred. This commitment should be honoured without delay.”

Bennett, who has been on bail since March after spending a month in prison, was indicted to the High Court last Wednesday on charges of possessing weapons for the purposes of committing banditry, insurgency and terrorism. He denies the charges.

The MDC says the charges against Bennett are political and that his prosecution is a further breach of the GPA under which President Robert Mugabe undertook to halt all political prosecutions.