BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA THE Zanu PF Mashonaland East provincial leadership has admitted that infighting and land barons caused them to lose Goromonzi South constituency to the opposition MDC Alliance in the 2018 elections. Former Public Service minister Petronella Kagonye, who represented Zanu PF, lost dismally to Rueben Chikudo of MDC Alliance. Addressing delegates at a provincial co-ordinating committee meeting in Marondera at the weekend, acting provincial chairperson Michael Madanha said fighting within the ruling party worked to the opposition’s advantage. “We found out that we lost Goromonzi South seat to the opposition due to infighting within the party in that area. Moreover, the existence of land barons in the same area fuelled divisions within the party and this should be corrected ahead of 2023,” he said. The Zanu PF party had more than 10 candidates for the primary elections as party members fought to take control of the constituency. Recently, Kagonye was arrested and brought to court on six counts of illegal sale of State land. Other suspected land barons who were arrested include Oswell Gwanzura, who also contested in the Zanu PF primary elections and lost. The ruling party won 21 out of the 23 seats in the province. Meanwhile, Zanu PF national political commissar Victor Matemadanda has urged party members to exercise unity instead of fanning divisions. The Defence deputy minister said party members should embrace stalwarts Lawrence Katsiru, Uzumba MP Simbaneuta Mudarikwa and Goromonzi’s Bornface Mutize and stop shunning him over trivial issues. “We hear people castigating Katsiru, but during the day you visit his shrine, it doesn’t make sense. In this province, Simbaneuta is being haunted because he used to be a master of ceremonies at the late former President Robert Mugabe’s functions. Who was not part of Mugabe here? In Goromonzi, there is a man who has great potential called Mutize, but he is being vilified over unfounded allegations. “If we are embracing people from the MDC or opposition, why are we failing to embrace our own people who we all know and have a history with?” Matemadanda asked. Katsiru and Mutize were barred from participating in the district co-ordinating committee elections by some members of the provincial executive despite commanding a huge following in their respective areas. The duo was being linked to the party’s vanquished G40 cabal. Mudarikwa, who is tipped to take over from the late Joel Biggie Matiza as the provincial chairperson, has also been linked to the G40 faction.
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