MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene has admitted to an acrimonious rift between herself and Zanu PF politburo member Oppah Muchinguri.
BY Kennedy Nyangani
Mandiitawepi Chimene
The two have in the past openly exchanged insults along factional lines, as they battle for superiority in the province.
Chimene revealed this when she was responding to Nyanga South legislator Supa Mandiwanzira, who said he was happy to see the Provincial Affairs minister sharing jokes with Muchinguiri at the high table, where the latter was guest of honour at a by-election campaign for Zanu PF’s George Mukota in Sedze village ward 19, Nyanga South, on Wednesday.
Mandiwanzira said he was pleased to see Chimene, who is reportedly aligned to the G40 faction, and Muchinguri, who is linked to a rival faction sympathetic to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, share jokes.
Chimene immediately responded, admitting the two sometimes did not talk due to gossip peddled by party supporters.
“You are the trouble causers,” Muchinguri said.
“Leave us and see if we will fight. We are seated together here, did we fight? She is my daughter, but because of you, we don’t see eye to eye.”
The by-election follows the death of an MDC-T councillor earlier this year.
Yesterday, Zanu PF Manicaland provincial chairman Samuel Undenge labelled people angling for his position as cowards who refused to take up the post when former chairman John Mvundura was fired from the party in 2014 for his links to former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who was accused of plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe.
Undenge made the remarks yesterday at the commissioning of Rupinga Hydro-Power Station in Chipinge Central.
The Energy minister said he was persuaded by Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa to take up the post, but was now appalled by “some vultures” angling for the post now that the dust had settled.
Chinamasa was the guest of honour at yesterday’s function.
Undenge has Mugabe to thank for his continued hold onto the position after party structures had shown him the exit door.
Chinamasa made a subtle attack on ICT deputy minister Win Mlambo, the Chipinge East MP, for failing to address mobile network connectivity issues in the constituency despite him being in the ICT ministry.-newsday
