It never rains but pours for the Makwarimba family as Zanu-PF Masvingo province has demoted Phainos from his position as the deputy provincial political commissar and barring him from attending the party’s Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) and Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meetings.

The Makwarimbas, who recently lost their father Clemence to Covid-19, were at the centre of controversy during the Zanu-PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections after they openly expressed their dissatisfaction on the manner on which the elections were conducted in the province.

In a letter dated February 3, 2021, addressed to Phainos, Zanu-PF provincial disciplinary committee said that he is an illegitimate member of the provincial executive.

“The provincial disciplinary committee notifies you that you are not a legitimate member of the Provincial Executive Committee as there are no minutes to support your co-option into the executive.

“You are hereby barred from attending any Zanu-PF Provincial Coordinating Committee and Provincial Executive Committee meetings with immediate effect,” reads the letter.

The committee chairperson and deputy provincial chair Robson Mavhenyengwa said Phainos, who has served for about five years in the commissariat department, has been reduced to a card carrying member.

“We are just doing our job and we found out that there were no supporting documents to Makwarimba’s (Phainos) position.

“There is nothing amiss about it because the procedure is very clear and it should be followed. Whenever there is a co-option, there should be minutes which are presented to the PEC and PCC meetings.

“No such procedure happened with Makwarimba,” said Mavhenyengwa.

Phainos told TellZim News that he was shocked to receive a letter from the disciplinary committee as he was unaware of any disciplinary case.

“What I know is that I was co-opted and I have served with distinction for the past five year. It boggles the mind when one says I was not co-opted after five years.

“It just does not make any sense. The letter came from the disciplinary committee and I do not recall have any disciplinary case.

“This was an administrative issue so why was the disciplinary committee involved? Nothing makes sense at all. Who should produce the so called minutes?

“The letter says it is clarifying my position in the province yet I never sought any clarification,” said Phainos.

-TellZim