A STORM is brewing in Zanu PF after the ruling party leadership instructed that all assets, including motor vehicles that were donated to individuals by well-wishers in its name, be handed over for regularisation by the end of this month.
While several party members interviewed in a snap survey yesterday applauded the move, some felt the leadership was harbouring an agenda that would be exposed soon.
In a memo dated July 3 this year, Zanu PF secretary-general Obert Mpofu said all vehicles donated in the name of the party to either individuals or organisations should be regularised.
“Pursuant to section 76, subsections 4 and 5 of the party’s constitution and relevant sections about the registration and management of party assets, the Zanu PF party is embarking on an exercise to regularise the use and registration of motor vehicles donated in the name of the party to either individuals or organisations,” he said.
“This regularisation exercise includes motor vehicles donated by well-wishers to individual party members, party organs and structures without validation from the secretary-general, treasurer-general or national secretary for transport and social welfare.”
Mpofu also instructed that the vehicles should be surrendered to the national secretary for transport and social welfare by no later than July 31 this year for the exercise.
Contacted to comment on whether the directive affected individuals and celebrities that benefited from well-wishers like Wicknell Chivayo, Zanu PF director for communications Farai Marapira said only vehicles given for the betterment of the party would be regularised.
“This applies to party members who were given motor vehicles to help them to work for the betterment of the party; it is different from someone receiving the donation as an individual,” Marapira said.
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Meanwhile, a Zanu PF youth leader in Mashonaland West defended the directive, saying members were abusing resources in the name of the party.
“The secretary-general must be in control of all party assets, including those in the hands of party affiliates,” he said.
But some Zanu PF members are questioning why such sections are being invoked, yet there was silence when party leaders were given exorbitant gifts during the campaign period.
A senior party member, who chose to remain anonymous, said the motor vehicle directive was fuelled by factional fights and was designed to remove parallel structures, including affiliates being created in Zanu PF.
“This is designed to remove parallel structures being created outside party structures. There are so many affiliates that are not accountable to the party and that is a recipe for disaster since they have resources that are not controlled by the party,” he said.
In 2023, Zanu PF national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri confirmed that the party had received reports of members abusing their vehicles and refusing to pay toll fees across the country.
She said the party leadership had received reports of Zanu PF members producing party cards to cow Zimbabwe National Road Administration officials into exempting them from paying toll fees.
