Battle for Kwekwe Central exposes CIO boss Mudha, Matemadanda rift

The potentially explosive forthcoming Kwekwe Central by-elections expected in December this year have exposed the widening Zanu PF intraparty rifts pitting President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s two blue eyed boys- state security minister Owen ‘Mudha’ Ncube and the revolutionary party’s national political commissar Victor Matemadanda.

The internal rifts pitting Minister Ncube and Matemadanda were on public display over the weekend at the Zanu PF Convention Centre in Gweru after the latter made a scathing attack on the former’s nephew Energy ‘Dhala’ Ncube, who is also eyeing the Kwekwe Central seat together with Kandros Mugabe, also of Zanu PF.

Dhala, who is son to Minister Ncube’s sister, has been enjoying support from the party leadership in Kwekwe and in apparent reference to the miner-cum-politician, Matemadanda said members must not take advantage of ‘being related to those in positions of power’.

“We have started fighting on our own in Kwekwe Central,” Matemadanda said.

“We should be working together to take back the seats. We are saying membership matters and not being close or related to someone in leadership positions,” Matemadanda said in apparent reference to Dhala.

The surprise Kwekwe Central aspirant, Dhala, also has the support of Local Government minister July Moyo and his nephew and former Mbizo MP Cornelius Mupereri, who are all aligned to the state security minister.

Mupereri, is believed to be a regular in weekend meetings with the Zimbabwe leader at his Precabe Farm in the predominantly agrarian Sherwood area in Kwekwe.

“Some lie using the President’s name, saying I am coming from the President. Do you want the president to avoid you?” Matemanda rhetorically asked.

“The President was the leader in Midlands Province and now he is the leader of the country. So, there is no way he can impose candidates or members in party structures like the DCC or Central Committee or Provincial because everyone is his son or daughter. People should work for themselves,” he said.

Zwnews