ZANU PF’s Mashonaland Central chairperson Kazembe Kazembe stands accused of sanctioning the divisions of the party’s districts before creating fake structures for rigging purposes ahead of Zanu PF district elections.
Kazembe, who is also Home Affairs Minister, has been accused of abusing his authority as a senior government minister to assign police officers to harass party opponents creating a tense intra-party election environment in the volatile province.
The politician is accused of having created Rusununguko and Chipindura districts with fake structures and plans to bus people to vote for his allies.
The elected district members will in turn vote in the provincial elections where Kazembe is seeking re-election as provincial chairperson.
Leaked chats from within the Mashonaland Central provincial leaders WhatsApp group portrayed a divided province as one Golide openly told Kazembe to recall how they had dealt with Dickson Mafios and other predecessors when they became difficult to work with.
“Cde you are an orator but please stop this habit of threatening people and lying that they will be arrested for what they post on social media,” Golide told Kazembe.
“This habit of sending the police and other state security agencies (to rivals) is not democracy, you should be prepared to hear people’s views even when they tell you that you have erred.
“If you want your word to be law, the province will not develop. Do not forget Cde that before you we had Mafios and before him, they were a lot of others, and if you may please revise their demise.”
The conversation emanated from suggestions the provincial leadership should solve challenges faced by district executives to which former Energy Minister Fortune Chasi advised districts should be independent with no interference from the province.
Kazembe is also reported not to be in good books with Chasi.
A wave of violence is currently rocking Zanu PF structures in Mashonaland Central province.
There was an alleged foiled assassination attempt on former Education Minister Lazarus Dokora. The former minister has since chickened out of the hotly contested provincial chairperson race.
The provincial seat is important in Zanu PF politics, not only because of the power it holds.
Kazembe was to retain the assist and he will be run the Zanu PF electoral college and put him at the helm of fund-raising for the governing party ahead of its congress in preparation for the 2023 national elections.