The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
ZANU-PF must embrace foe and ally as partners in politics, while those who erred must submit to the censure meted by the party as deserving punishment for loved cadres, the party provincial chairperson, Cde Mike Madiro, has said. Cde Madiro warned against the alienation of former G40 members saying those who have not fallen today may also fall tomorrow and those who have risen now may also fall in future.
He said this while addressing the Makoni inter-district meeting in Rusape where tempers flared over the inclusion of former G40 members in party structures and programmes. Party supporters also queried imposition of candidates in the provincial set- up at the expense of those who fought against G40 in Manicaland. He said the political massacres of bigwigs should serve as a lesson for the rank and file.
“Those who erred (G40) must be given an opportunity to make amends and those who rode on the right tide must be humble enough to realise that every dog has its day,” said Cde Madiro.
He said Zanu-PF cadres must stop pointing accusing fingers at each other, but gear themselves for a reasounding win in next year elections. Cde Madiro said Manicaland was the biggest victim of political skullduggery as a result of factionalism, hence the need to urgently pick up the pieces and forge a united front that any election calls for.
“You must remember that every Zanu-PF member matters in our quest for victory in 2018. This is why President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa said he has forgiven all members of the cabal except three. The official position of the party is that let by-gones be by-gones.
“Zanu-PF wants everybody on board regardless of whether they were G40 or what. Embrace and rehabilitate them if you feel they were wrong, don’t alienate them. Those who were wrong before should admit, mend their way, reform and push the agenda of the party forward. They should forsake factional politics, and only those who refuse to reform or submit to the censure by the party must be dealt with,” said Cde Madiro.
“As we gear for another outstanding win in 2018, it must be remembered that everybody matters in the creation of peace, unity and development. The road demands treating changed and changing circumstances as an opportunity to redefine, reshape and refine a revolution that must continue to answer to the command of the ordinary citizen,” he said.
Cde Madiro warned the revolutionary party against complacency built on the tricky doctrine of invincibility. He said divergent views that work for the good of the party must not be misconstrued for dissent, but be credited as properly and purposefully focused. Cde Madiro argued that Zanu-PF must be driven by competitive ideas and real substance as opposed to whims and parochialism.
He said Zanu-PF has appointed two sitting legislators — Senator Shadreck Tongesayi Chipanga and Cde Lucia Chitura — to baby-sit Makoni South and Makoni West which were orphaned after expulsion from Zanu-PF and recall from Parliament of their MPs recently. The ruling party expelled Cdes Mandi Chimene (Makoni South) and Kudzi Chipanga (Makoni West).
This triggered a battle for political supremacy as party hawks started to position themselves to canvass for support, forcing the party appoint the MPs to assist with party programmes and activities until the 2018 elections. Cde Madiro said the party should take advantage of the Biometric Voter Registration extension to mobilise its supporters to register.
“To win an election, we need the numbers, and from January 5, we should make sure all our members who missed the registration blitz are registered. Election is a game of numbers, and we cannot win if our members are not registered,” said Cde Madiro.
At the close of the BVR fourth phase last Tuesday, Manicaland had registered at least 560 000 prospective voters against a target of at least 912 762 registrants.
