Jane Mlambo| The ghost of the G40 faction has continued to haunt the ruling Zanu PF with party supporters in Manicaland yesterday storming the provincial headquarters in Mutare, demanding the election of a new executive to replace the current one led by Mike Madiro.

Placard-wielding demonstrators accused Madiro’s provincial executive of fanning divisions by suspending perceived rivals.
Some of the placards read: “We don’t want imposition of candidates,” “No to imposition of party leadership”, “We want the current leadership to be dissolved. Why sacrificing party members?”

Several party members, including former provincial vice-chairperson Joseph Mujati and Prosper Sithole, who is political commissar in Chipinge, were recently slapped with prohibition orders.

The duo, alongside several others, yesterday underwent disciplinary hearings led by Zanu PF provincial vice-chairperson, Dorothy Mabika.

Mabika, who was also reportedly imposed by Madiro, was humiliated as party supporters stormed the hearings and started singing protest songs.

The visibly shaken Mabika watched in despair as the supporters openly told her that she was imposed by Madiro and, therefore, illegitimate.

One of the demonstrators, Aphia Ingresi, who is the Zanu PF Headlands constituency youth chairperson, said they were being victimised by Madiro, claiming that he was responsible for President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s poor showing in the province in the July 30 poll.

Despite Zanu PF winning 19 parliamentary seats out of the 26 available in the province, Mnangagwa lost in the presidential elections to MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa.
“We are worried that Madiro is no longer popular in the province. He imposed himself and he later imposed his deputy, Dorothy Mabika,” he said.

“He was responsible for the loss of President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the province, and if this is not addressed, things are going to get worse.”
-Newsday