Anxiety has gripped President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s home province of Midlands, with security reportedly on high alert ahead of Zanu PF provincial elections that were moved to this weekend following destructive conflicts allegedly urged by former State Security minister Owen Ncube.
Ncube, a known key ally of Mnangagwa, reportedly bussed machete-wielding gangs to last weekend’s meeting to fill the provincial posts.
The gangs threatened to chop critics, forcing the elections to be aborted.
Mnangagwa later dismissed Ncube from his ministerial post.
Sources close to Ncube told the local paper yesterday that they will “wait and see” what will happen, while his rivals celebrated his “demise” as they positioned themselves to take over substantial posts he had allegedly dished to his allies and relatives.
One of the rival camps linked to party district co-ordinating committee member Kandros Mugabe openly celebrated Ncube’s fall and called for disciplinary action and disqualification of his nephew, Energy Ncube, from contesting in the March by-elections.
The rival group accused Ncube of seeking to impose his nephew to stand for Zanu PF in a fight to replace the late Kwekwe Central MP Masango Matambanadzo.
Zanu PF Midlands provincial chairman Larry Mavima, who was reportedly compelled by Mnangagwa to avert a potentially explosive battle between Ncube and former chairman Daniel Mackenzie Ncube, yesterday warned all “misfits” that they would be dealt with decisively.
Mavima ensured that elections for the remaining posts would be concluded this weekend and described the atmosphere as calm and stable.
“The atmosphere is calm, stable and we will continue with the conclusion of the elections this weekend and we believe that we have reached a position where there will be no violence or intimidation of any nature,” Mavima said.
“I am very positive that we will have a prosperous conclusion of the process and that from now on, we will work together as a united province.”
On violence and intimidation, Mavima said: “I want to be very clear to all those misfits that do believe they can endanger people, they can intimidate people, that the full force of the law will deal with them.
“Zimbabwe is a peaceful country. The Midlands is a peaceful province and the President is always talking about peace and calm, loving one another. If anyone ever thinks that they are above the law, we will deal with them and we will deal with them effectively.
“We are not going to sustain any nonsense whatsoever. The party is ultimate, anyone who goes against the principles of the party, we will deal with them.”
Zanu PF is deeply divided across provinces, and the divisions were worsened by the disputed provincial polls that were tarnished by reports of rigging and violence.
Proclamations of rigging have also been raised in Matabeleland North province, where officials have accused a camp aligned to Richard Moyo of utilizing the votes against Believe Gaule.
Senior party officials in the province told the local paper that the rigging was awful and a calamity for Zanu PF. “The rigging started in the district elections,” a senior party official said.
There were also complaints in Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and several other provinces, with spectators saying the advancements were confirmation that Zanu PF resided deeply divided.
