Police in riot gear was called in after chaos reigned supreme at the meeting. In an effort to restore order police unleashed dogs on dozens of Zanu (PF) supporters who wanted to gain entry into the venue of the meeting.
At least 10 people were injured after they were bitten by police dogs as the law enforcement agents struggled to disperse the angry party supporters.
The chaos happened in full view of the party's national spokesman, Rugare Gumbo, who had been dispatched to Masvingo to preside over the meeting.
Tempers flared at the venue of the meeting when about 100 uninvited party members were denied entry into the meeting.
However the angry supporters tried to force their way into the meeting singing songs and chanting slogans denigrating former United People's Party president, Daniel Shumba, who was readmitted into Zanu (PF) and is eying the Masvingo urban parliamentary seat.
Shumba was expelled from Zanu (PF) several years ago after participating at an unsanctioned meeting in Tsholotsho which some viewed as an attempt at a palace coup to remove Mugabe from the party’s top.
Members who were turned away argued that those who attended were not legitimate members and should therefore not have been involved in the endorsement of Mugabe.
They claimed that those who were in the meeting were former UPP supporters who had nothing to do with Zanu (PF).
"President Mugabe cannot be endorsed by the wrong people", said an angry party supporter who refused to be named.
"UPP supporters cannot choose a leader for us hence if the President is endorsed by these people then it means maybe he (Mugabe) has defected to UPP. We are the only people who should decide Zanu (PF)'s destiny and its leadership and not people from other political parties".
Some of the angry supporters were briefly arrested and later released. Rugare Gumbo had to apologise over the incident.
"We are very sorry for the disturbances that have happened but we urge our supporters to be disciplined", said Gumbo. "We are sorry to those who have been injured", added Gumbo.
Zanu (PF) Masvingo Provincial Chairman, Lovemore Matuke, confirmed the incident but refused to give details.
"There were misunderstandings over the delegates but we managed to solve the problem," said Matuke. Police in Masvingo refused to comment on the incident.
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Why endorsing rather than nominating, I thought it is time to nominate a candidate? Hah zanuPF madhaka chaiwo.Is there any point of gathering people and tell them to endorse so and so, what about if they don’t want. Chitsotsi chega chega, murume mukuru sa Rigare Gumbo kutopedza nguva yake achifambira zvinhu zvakapata sezvizvi.