AN UNANNOUNCED visit by Mines deputy minister Freddy Moyo over the weekend has triggered a massive row and harsh exchange of words in the factious Zanu PF party ahead of a provincial meeting to fill vacant executive posts.
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Moyo is being accused of abusing his ministerial post to campaign for the provincial vice-chairpersonship of the Midlands province after he addressed dozens of illegal gold panners and Zanu PF supporters in Kwekwe’s Amaveni suburb without getting clearance from the party’s district leadership.
Owen Ncube, the Midlands provincial secretary for security and a close ally of Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, told Southern Eye the meeting was a direct disregard of the party structures and showed total indiscipline by Moyo.
“It is worrying that a minister from Zanu PF would just address a meeting without informing party structures.
“That was a serious show of disrespect to Kwekwe district and a violation of party protocol,” Ncube said.
“We don’t behave like headless chickens in Zanu PF. We are guided by principal and are disciplined cardrés. It is sad that when one gets appointed to be minister, they want to abuse that position to get power illegitimately within the party,” Ncube charged.
Moyo attended the meeting at the invitation of constituency MP Masango Matambanadzo, widely loathed in Kwekwe by top Zanu PF members allegedly aligned to a faction loyal to Mnangagwa.
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Matambanadzo, linked to a faction led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru, dismissed the allegations of indiscipline and defended Moyo saying he was not eyeing any post in the provincial executive.
“I have held several meetings with Moyo over gold panning in Kwekwe so as he was passing through, he called me and requested that we have an impromptu meeting with gold panners so that he gets the information first hand. This is why some party members were not informed,” Matambanadzo said.
Matambanadzo, however, dismissed Ncube saying he was a power hungry individual driven by greed and belief that he had a sole right to Zanu PF.
In a thinly veiled attack, Matambanadzo also took an aim at Mnangagwa saying he seemed to think the party belonged to his family.
“Those people are greedy and power hungry. They think that the party belongs to their family but no, Zanu PF is for the people for everyone and not this elitist group which is against development projects which I am championing to help the poor,” he said.
Mnangagwa sits in the politburo; his wife Auxilia in the central committee and their son Emmerson (Jr) is in the youth provincial executive.
