New twist to Zanu-PF Central Committee vacant post

Published: 2 hours ago

The race to fill the vacant Zanu-PF Chivi Central Committee (CC) seat has taken a contentious turn, with newly surfaced District Coordinating Committee (DCC) minutes showing that Clifford Mumbengegwi won a secret ballot against Mathias Tongofa.

The seat became vacant following the death of Brigadier Elasto Madzingira in August 2024. According to minutes of the DCC meeting held on September 19, attended by 29 members and chaired by DCC chairman Samuel Magonde, 27 members voted for Mumbengegwi while only two supported Tongofa. "Twenty-nine members cast their votes, with 27 voting for Comrade Mumbengegwi and 2 for Comrade Tongofa. Therefore, Mumbengegwi won Chivi's vote and was recommended to replace Madzingira," the minutes read. The meeting directed the chairman to forward Mumbengegwi's name to the office of the Provincial Chairman.

Despite the DCC outcome, Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairman Rabson Mavhenyengwa has indicated that Tongofa's name has been forwarded to the party's politburo, Central Committee, and presidium for confirmation. When questioned about the conflicting DCC minutes, Mavhenyengwa dismissed the matter as factionalism. "What I told you earlier still stands. I have forwarded Tongofa's name and that still stands. All that you are talking about is factionalism," he said.

A source familiar with the process, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that the interdistrict meeting presided over by Mavhenyengwa in August, which recommended Tongofa, did not reflect the will of the Chivi electorate. "If the presidium, CC and politburo adopt Mavhenyengwa's recommendation, the people of Chivi would have lost out. Our wish is that the leadership will listen to the voice of the people and allow democracy to prevail," the source said.

DCC chairman Magonde also reiterated that while the committee forwarded Mumbengegwi's recommendation, the final decision rests with the provincial chairman.

Clifford Mumbengegwi is a veteran of the 1970s liberation struggle against the Ian Smith regime. He has a long history of political engagement, having previously stood for the Kuwadzana parliamentary seat in Harare in 2000 and served on the Harare Provincial Coordinating Committee before transferring to Masvingo Province, where he rose to Provincial Vice Chairman. He has contested the Chivi North parliamentary seat three times and came a close second to the late Brigadier Madzingira in the previous Central Committee elections.

Mumbengegwi hails from Chivi District, Chikwehle Village under Chief Madamombe. He attended Mukotosi Primary, Dadaya High School, and later earned a Bachelor of Business Studies from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master of Science in Strategic Management from the University of Derby, United Kingdom. He also served in the Zimbabwe National Army from 1981 to 1990, retiring with the rank of Major.

The dispute highlights growing tensions within the Zanu-PF Masvingo Province as the party prepares to finalize appointments, with both factional interests and grassroots preferences now in the spotlight.
- Midweek Watch

Tags: Zanu-PF,