In diametric contrast to reports that former Zanu PF national political commissar Victor Matemadanda had a ‘khaki-enveloped’ relationship with members of the Kwekwe district coordinating committee (DCC) to fight a rival camp linked to state security minister Owen ‘Mudha’ Ncube, reports reaching Zwnews have suggested otherwise.
In recent weeks, the social media has been awash with reports that Matemadanda- who was dramatically relieved of the influential national commissariat position under unclear circumstances- has been receiving kickbacks from members of the Kwekwe DCC to fight a rival camp loyal to Mudha and his local government counterpart, July Moyo.
Matemadanda was also said to have been gifted with a top-of-the-range Toyota Prado by Kandros Mugabe, the incumbent Kwekwe DCC Secretary for Finance.
Mugabe, in turn, dismisses the allegations as a creation of rivals in the party.
But, speaking to Zwnews in Kwekwe this week, one party district chairperson who requested anonymity for fear of possible reprisal said the former Zanu PF national PC had, instead, been working in cahoots with the pro-Mudha camp to derail the current executive.
Said the source:
“Have you actually realised that Matemadanda has been protecting Energy Dhala Ncube whose backers are being accused of beating up senior provincial officials who were overseeing the primary elections last year?”
Dhala, who is son to Minister ‘Mudha’ Ncube’s sister is involved in a dog-eat-dog fight with Mugabe for the battle to grab the ruling party candidature in forthcoming Kwekwe Central by-elections.
On October 5 last year, supporters aligned to Dhala ran amok and attacked provincial officials who were overseeing the Zanu PF primaries at the ruling party’s district headquarters in Kwekwe central business district.
The supporters accused the officials of having been bribed by Mugabe to skew the polls in his favour.
After the abandonment of the chaotic polls and in apparent reference to Dhala, Zanu PF provincial chairperson said the violence were blamable on ‘one of the contestants who hired gold panners to the elections’.
“They (primary elections) did not go well. Some gold panners came in and overran the polling stations demanding to vote and in the end, we had to call the primary elections off. Most of the panners do not come from the constituency and are unregistered in that constituency while others came from outside the constituency but just wanted to vote,” said McKenzie Ncube last year.
And, in light of the evidence incriminating the Dhala camp, some provincial officials accuse the national commissariat and security department of having been ‘too lenient’ on the state security Minister’s nephew.
“Since October 5 2020 to this day, nothing has been done to reprimand Dhala and Matemadanda was relieved of the national PC post five months after the primaries were aborted. As the national PC, Matemadanda was supposed to have taken action against Dhala but he did nothing in this regard. He (Matemadanda) was never aligned to us and did everything in his capacity to protect a camp that has been fighting against us, ” said the source.
“It’s actually a hoax that Matemadanda had links to some members of the Zanu PF Kwekwe DCC. This is being created by some guys who are still bitter of the outcome of the DCC elections and these people have been creating unnecessary confusion to give Dhala an urge over Mugabe. The general sentiment within the party in Kwekwe Central is that Dhala should have been reprimanded for the part he played in the abandonment of the primaries”.
The Kwekwe Central seat fell vacant following the death of National Patriotic Front legislator Masango ‘Blackman’ Matambanadzo in July last year.
Zwnews