RIOT police yesterday maintained a heavy presence around Zanu PF district offices in Gweru as they thwarted a planned demonstration by party members sympathetic to a faction led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru, sources revealed to Southern Eye. STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
The members, clad in party regalia, were ferried to the offices reportedly to protest against the booting out of Zanu PF provincial chairman Jason Machaya at a provincial co-ordinating committee (PCC) meeting held on Sunday. 
Machaya was given a unanimous vote of no confidence by 44 provincial executive members at a PCC meeting held at the party’s convention centre in Gweru on allegations of fanning factionalism and divisions in the province.
Machaya, who is also Provincial Affairs minister, is believed to be a member of a faction aligned to Mujuru, which is involved in mortal combat with another, reportedly led by Justice minister Emerson Mnangagwa.
When the Southern Eye crew arrived at the party’s district offices, riot police officers, in groups of 10 and armed with batons and tear gas canisters, were maintaining a watchful eye at the deserted offices.
By mid-day riot police, some armed with rifles were at every corner in the Gweru central business district.
Only a handful of women were being picked in party vehicles at the offices to the convention centre where there were elections for the provincial women assembly in preparation for the central committee polls slated for this weekend.
“There was a planned demonstration against the ouster of Machaya, but as early as 6am heavily armed police officers had deployed along the road leading to the district offices prompting the protesters to abandon the march,” a Zanu PF source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
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The source further said a section of former freedom fighters sympathetic to ousted war veterans association boss Jabulani Sibanda were part of the protesters. Provincial war vets chairman, Terry Shumba was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Repeated efforts to contact Zanu PF provincial secretary for information and publicity, Cornelius Mpereri were futile as his mobile went unanswered.
