By A Correspondent- Factionalism has rocked Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial structures with war veterans clashing with the newly elected party leadership.
War veterans led by Happison Muchechetere who was recently elected the Zanu PF Veterans of the Liberation Struggle League (ZVLSL) Mashonaland West provincial chairperson is clashing with Kindness Paradza the deputy Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, and Zanu PF Makonde District Coordinating Committee chairman.
Muchechetere at the Zanu PF Zvimba North inter-district weekend meeting held at Kamwaza Hall in Raffingora publicly challenged Paradza.
The meeting came after violent clashes between ZANU PF factions at the party’s DCC meeting in Chinhoyi recently with reports suggesting that some of the involved youths were in Kindness Paradza’s camp.
Speaking at the weekend, Muchechetere warned:
What is happening in some areas like Makonde cannot be tolerated. We as war veterans will come to fix it. If we hear of any youth who continues committing offences we will not hesitate to deal with them, we won’t let them do as they please.
What we watch on social media pains us as war veterans, seeing youths, after being offered alcohol, dare point fingers at the chairman in public. A chairman of the party?
Some break bottles saying ‘we want to fight’. Do you know war? If you have an appetite for violence we can take you to Mozambique where there is real war so that you appreciate real war.
We implore youths to uphold the party ideology to respect elders, even the Bible and clergyman say ‘respect your father and mother so that your days on Earth are multiplied.
Violent clashes in Chinhoyi reportedly erupted after one youth officer confronted Paradza, pointed a finger accusing him of failing to lead the DCC.
Police in Chinhoyi last week arrested four Zanu PF activists Simbarashe Guvheya (40), Zivanai Busai (37), Ruth Chikukwa (40) and Mirriam Mudoti (42) popularly known as “Boko Haram”.
Simbarashe Guvheya and Zivanai Busai are said to be loyal to Paradza.
Police had to fire tear smoke to quell the riotous situation that unfolded at the ill-fated meeting of 45 Zanu PF DCC chairpersons from the Chinhoyi constituency.
The activists have since appeared in court for alleged involvement in intra-party violence and were released on a $10 000 bail each.
-Pindula News; NewZimbabwe