By Paul Nyathi|Suddenly very controversial ZANU PF primary elections candidate for Harare East Terrence Mukupe has challenged MDC-T President Nelson Chamisa claiming that he draws bigger crowds than the MDC Alliance coalition presidential candidate.
Mukupe who was elected as member of parliament for the constituency in a by-election held in 2015 after the recall of Tendai Biti by the MDC-T, threw the challenge at Chamisa in a Facebook post on Thursday evening.
The young politician who is also the Deputy Minister of Finance posted photos of a well attended ZANU PF rally for the Harare East Constituency he held on Thursday.
“My branch meeting today. Just showing you I draw more crowds than Chamisa!!!,” he wrote.
“Mupfana uya ngaadye sadza rake akanyarara,” added Mukupe.
Mukupe is facing an uphill task at the ZANU PF primaries when he squares off with bitter rival Mavis Gumbo daughter to Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo.
He is already crying foul over tje primary elections claiming that he had been betrayed by the party as he would face opponents who were fighting against him during Zanu PF factional fights last year.
“Betrayed, wasting resources to fight the same G40 functionary that got me expelled from Zanu PF,” Mukupe wrote on Twitter last week.
Gumbo, before the military take-over last November, was allegedly linked to the G40 faction which backed former First Lady Grace Mugabe and was opposed to then Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Attempts to get her out of Zanu PF structures failed after the women’s league said Gumbo was on an assignment as she was said to be a member of the Central Intelligence Organisation, hence, her association with G40.
In the build-up to the 2015 by-elections, self-exiled ex-Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere backed Mukupe ahead of Gumbo, who had the support of then party secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo.
The relationship between Kasukuwere and Mukupe turned sour due to a failed land deal and he became one of his political adversaries – baying for the former minister’s head.