The spat between Zanu-PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and Gokwe-Nembudziya legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena has spilled from Parliament to party structures. Party youths in Harare yesterday called for the ouster of Wadyajena as the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, accusing him of abusing his position to settle personal scores.
The youths accused Wadyajena of abusing his parliamentary powers to badmouth senior party officials, particularly Kasukuwere.
Kasukuwere and Wadyajena recently had a public spat in Parliament when the former appeared before the committee to give oral evidence on circumstances surrounding the establishment of the Marange-Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust.
The politicians exchanged harsh words, with Kasukuwere accusing Wadyajena of doing a witch hunt on him.
On Thursday, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment pressed contempt of Parliament charges against Kasukuwere, accusing him of demeaning and putting the Legislature into disrepute.
It is against this background that Zanu-PF youths in Harare argued that Wadyajena was going too far and declared war on him.
Addressing Zanu-PF youths at the ground breaking ceremony of a Zanu-PF information centre in Hatfield, the youths took turns to lambast Cde Wadyajena.
Acting provincial youth chair for Harare Edison Takataka said: “Tiri kuona kuti mamwe mayouth ari kudzikisira vakuru vedu muParliament to the extent of blasting our national political commissar in Parliament. We do not want such people in the party. If you are a Member of Parliament, your duty is to represent people in Parliament and not to blast party leadership in Parliament.
“As Harare youths we are saying we do not want such people. We want youths who can be commanded, not what Wadyajena is doing in Parliament.”
Zanu-PF losing candidate for Hatfield in the July 31 2013 harmonised elections, Acie Lumumba said it was wrong for juniors in the party to challenge their seniors.
“How is it that you are a chairman of a mere parliamentary portfolio committee, but you have the audacity of challenging the national political commissar who was appointed by the President on issues to do with indigenisation?” he asked.
“Is indigenisation Kasukuwere’s child? Who is the father of indigenisation? So, where is Kasukuwere coming in? If you challenge the national political commissar, next you are slowly aiming to challenge the President.
“He (Wadyajena) claims that he has the support of other senior members, I do not know.
“Some of us we are youths, maybe there is something that we are missing. But kana uchida kuona kuti kambwanana katumwa nani ukakatora ukakarova mai vacho vanochema (scratch the puppy, draw out the mother).
“So, chairman (Takataka), I am saying I do not know kuti kambwanana kanonzi Wadyajena aka kari kutumwa nani asi mukambokatora seHarare province mukati Wadyajena shamwari wamhanya, amai vacho vanouya (I do not know whose errands Wadyajena is running but if you take him to task, those behind him will reveal themselves).”
Responding to the attacks, Wadyajena said he was simply carrying out his duties as enshrined in the Constitution.
“I am not accountable to minnows whose thuggish behaviour coupled with ignorance of parliamentary processes has exposed them,” he said.
“We are in Parliament representing Zimbabwe and guided by the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
“If they have a problem with the work of the committee and were wise enough they would approach Parliament authorities and not act in a manner inconsistent with party values.
“It is unfortunate that Lumumba, one of the few youths, if not the only one, lost in the last election in Hatfield constituency.
“I pray he had won so that he would appreciate parliamentary processes,” Wadyajena said.
Wadyajena said he had nothing against Kasukuwere and it was unfortunate that Cde Lumumba and his colleagues were tarnishing Kasukuwere’s name.
He said the public would be left in no doubt that Lumumba was sent by Kasukuwere, although he said he doubted that the Zanu-PF national commissar would stoop to such low levels.
