Senior Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central officials yesterday snubbed a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meeting called by their embattled acting chair, Dickson Mafios, to drum-up support for the equally under-fire National Political Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere.
The purported PCC meeting flopped after it failed to attract the required quorum of 100 members.
It is understood that the meeting was an attempt by Kasukuwere’s supporters to arm-twist party members to back the commissar ahead of a verdict on his fate by Zanu-PF’s Presidium.
Zanu-PF’s Politburo asked the Presidium to decide Kasukuwere’s fate after he was accused of plotting to topple President Mugabe, manipulating party structures, corruption, and fanning factionalism.
Yesterday’s meeting was called in defiance of moratorium on any such meetings in the province until Kasukuwere’s fate is sealed.
Most Members of Parliament, and Central Committee, National Consultative Assembly members from the province snubbed the meeting as they refused to be roped into a pro-Kasukuwere crusade.
Repeated attempts to get a comment from Mafios and Kasukuwere were fruitless yesterday as they did not pick up their mobile phones.
According to information gathered by The Sunday Mail, only two MPs were present while the main wing, Women’s League and Youth League were also poorly represented.
The Sunday Mail reports that to woo people to the meeting, the desperate cabal misrepresented that the meeting was called for by National Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo.
Zanu-PF deputy provincial chairman Kazembe Kazembe said, “I was invited to the meeting but I did not attend because I view it as illegal. We also got wind that they wanted to use the meeting to coerce members to support Kasukuwere ahead of the decision by the Presidium, so we refused to be part of the plot.
“Besides that, there is also a suspension for the holding of any meetings in the province and we respect that directive.”
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