HARARE, Feb 5 (NewsDay Live) - Zanu PF has finally spoken out against outspoken central committee member, Blessing Runesu Geza, after he recently called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to step down, and called his demands 'treasonous.'
In the last two weeks, Geza ruffled feathers in the ruling party with hard-hitting comments blasting Mnangagwa for corruption and running down the economy.
Zanu PF had remained mum on the matter while Mnangagwa’s loyalists such as Local Government minister, Daniel Garwe reacted angrily to his comments.In a statement, Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said Geza’s remarks were ‘outlandish and treasonable.
“The outlandish, treasonable, and egregious rantings of errant Runesu Geza offended the hallowed tenets of party discipline for a member of the Central Committee,” Mutsvangwa said.
“They also involved reckless attempts to usurp the credentials of war veterans’ entities in good standing with Zanu PF...“The relevant party organs of the organisation and discipline are currently seized with this contravention as it is holistically handled and dispensed with.”Zanu PF is battling fierce internal fights over a controversial proposal to extend Mnangagwa’s term of office from 2028 to 2030.
There is resistance to the 2030 agenda from grassroots structures including war veterans despite the ruling party adopting a resolution at its annual conference in October last year to extend his term of office.The party’s Masvingo province executive has reportedly suspended two MPs from all party activities for allegedly fanning factionalism.
The suspensions of Gutu East MP Benjamin Ganyiwa and Chiredzi North lawmaker Roy Bhila are believed to be linked to Zanu PF’s leadership fight amid a push by loyalists of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to extend his second and final term by two years to 2030, against constitutional limits.
The plan is being opposed even within Zanu PF as Mnangagwa’s opponents rally around his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, who also opposes the manoeuvres to amend the constitution.Zanu PF chairman for Masvingo Robson Mavhenyengwa said Ganyiwa, the party’s provincial secretary for finance, had held a “secret” meeting at his homestead attended by some party members from outside his constituency, and also without informing the party’s district and provincial leadership structures.
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Bhila, who was abruptly removed as deputy industry and commerce minister by Mnangagwa in November 2023, also attended the meeting.Ganyiwa is facing four charges, according to Mavhenyengwa.The two lawmakers have been issued with prohibition orders to cease all party activities, he added.Their matter has now been referred to the party’s disciplinary committee chaired by Oppah Muchinguri, the party’s national chairperson.
Should a decision be taken to expel them, the matter will go up to the politburo for confirmation, where Chiwenga and allies could potentially push back and widen the fissures.“No-one is bigger than the party, the disciplinary process will be followed through, regardless of one’s position within the party,” Mavhenyengwa vowed.Masvingo is the hotbed of Mnangagwa’s support and any splits among senior leaders would encourage the president’s opponents.
The suspensions come as Zanu PF’s Mashonaland West party recommended the expulsion of Blessed Geza, a central committee member and war veteran who last week declared that Mnangagwa “must go now” after accusing the 82-year-old Zanu PF leader of failing to lead and being “unfit to run this country.” – Additional reporting by Kukurigo
