Elimination politics in ZANU-PF

The house in which former Zimbabwe army general and ZANU PF stalwart, Solomon Mujuru (Rex Nhongo) died in after a mysterious fire.

INTRA-PARTY fighting in ZANU-PF has risen to new levels with a top official in Harare alleging that factional rivals this week set her house ablaze in a bid to eliminate her. ZANU-PF Highfield East’s Mbuya Nehanda District youth chairperson, Penelope Makomeya, lost property when fire, which started in her bedroom, gutted part of her family’s house in Lusaka, a section of the populous suburb, in a suspected case of arson attack on Sunday afternoon.

Makomeya’s mother, Modesta Karuru, is also a high ranking ZANU-PF official being the district’s secretary for people with disabilities and a member of the Women’s League. The matter was reported at Machipisa Police Station under case number 2187547. Harare provincial acting police spokesperson, Tarirai Dube, referred questions to her superior, Paul Nyathi who could not be reached for comment.

When the Financial Gazette visited the house at number 1605, Lusaka, Highfield, charred remains of furniture and clothes were scattered all over Makomera’s bedroom, which was the worst affected. On the floor were remnants of shoes and other wares submerged in a pool of water used to douse the flames. The rest of the house had walls darkened by smoke and a smell of burnt objects drifted into the noses. Makomeya said she suspects that the fire was started by her political rivals set on her by the ruling party’s under-fire provincial youth chairman, Godfrey Gomwe.

She alleges that she was assaulted by Gomwe’s bouncers on August 24 at the party’s district offices at Machipisa Shopping Centre. She said since the attack, she has been targetted for victimisation by fellow party members from a rival faction to which Gomwe is aligned. Gomwe however, distanced himself from the incident, dismissing it as “cheap politics.” He threatened to take legal action against Makomera for damaging his image.

“I have got no intention to destroy the life of any party member, let alone burn a girl. This incident happened in broad daylight, how then did the so called ‘Gomwe’s people’ find their way into the house without anyone seeing them? Let her come out in the open and I will definitely take legal action against her if she does,” Gomwe said.

He said the issue was made up by his rivals, particularly Harare Provincial chairman, Amos Midzi with whom Gomwe has been involved in a public spate since last month. Midzi recently suspended Gomwe from the party for reportedly undermining his leadership but the Politburo, ZANU-PF’s most influential organ, reversed the dismissal.

The case is a continued manifestation of a long-drawn-out factional battle in the ruling party which is torn between two major camps fighting for the control of the heart and soul of ZANU-PF, one reportedly fronted by Vice President Joice Mujuru and the other by Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. Despite both of them denying leading any factions, speculation keeps mounting that they are fighting to replace President Robert Mugabe when he finally leaves the political arena.

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