By A Correspondent- Businessman James Makamba, who was disqualified from running for the Zanu PF Mashonaland Central Provincial Chairman position in the Tuesday elections, has reportedly changed his mind and endorsed Kazembe Kazembe.
The Zanu PF Politburo threw out Makamba’s VC after the Party’s highest decision-making body raised security issues against the prominent businessman.
Makamba had entered the race with the incumbent, Kazembe Kazembe, who is also the Home Affairs Minister, and Tafadzwa Musarara, the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe Boss.
Since the beginning of this year, Kazembe has been using the police to frustrate Makamba’s campaign meetings.
Zanu PF supporters in Mashonaland Central have castigated Makamba’s sudden Kazembe endorsement, whose support (Kazembe) base has dwindled because of failing several times to mobilise for President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the Province.
Members of Makamba’s campaign team told ZimEye.com that the whole Province was saying, “Makamba is a sellout.
“He is taking Mt Darwin for fools. He is not after resurrecting the Party. He is after money and preserving his wealth. We agreed when the Party threw out his CV that we should all rally behind Musarara because he has the potential of reviving and uniting the Province. Kazembe was the Chairman since the death of G-40, and he failed three times to mobilise for President when he wanted to hold rallies here. He is not people-oriented, and you can only see him when there are big events for the Party. That is not politics. We need a person who resonates with the grassroots, and those characteristics are in Musarara. We are saying the Mukanya ( Makamba) Matengesa,” said the members.
In an act of defiance, Makamba supporters have changed all their campaign platforms on social media to Mash Central yati Musarara as they endorsed Musarara.
They said they had given Makamba their support in confidence that Makamba would work to remove Kazembe, who has been described as a sore thumb in the Province.
The supporters said they had worked with Makamba to remove Kazembe, and he turned his back on them to go to the very person they wanted to be removed.
Insiders from Kazembe’s camp revealed that Kazembe and Makamba had developed a working relationship during Kazembe’s days as Information Communication and Technology Minister and Telecel had brought them together.
They said that besides politics, the two had and still have business deals together, which is why it was in Makamba’s best interests to support Kazembe.
” Double standards displayed by vaMakamba on the background of which he was not only the mastermind and kingpin of denouncing Kazembe but he has been a senior teacher not of peace but of hatred.
Julius Malema quote “Hetrage is taught, ibis not an inborn thing”.
You taught people to hate and rise against Kazembe Kazembe.
Ko nhai Mukanya makadii kuzodzoka kuvamakadzidzisa kuti muvadzidzise rudo especially to Kazembe.
Your last minute desperate move was ill-advised Dr Makamba for it proved that you are a manipulator of people.
Having supporters of followers who subscribe to your candidacy does not mean that you own people.Hakuna munhu wevanhu kanakuti vanhu vemunhu,” these are the messages posted by Makamba supporters on thier social media platforms.
Makamba, Kazembe and Musarara’s phones were not reachable for comment as they were said to be deep in the rural areas for their last-minute campaign rallies.
The Zanu PF PPC elections are due Tuesday. The polls are critical to the Party as they would produce Zanu PF’s kingmakers for the Party’s 2023 presidential candidate at an elective congress due December 2022.