Zanu PF Official Calls for Elimination of Rivals as Factionalism Worsens

WASHINGTON —  Factionalism is heating up in Zanu-PF following an outburst by President Robert Mugabe, who called Information Minister Jonathan Moyo a “devil incarnate” promoting instability in the party through the state-controlled media.

Zanu-PF’s secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, has joined the public fight saying President Mugabe got it right when he said the party is being crippled by weevils.

Mutasa is quoted by various media organizations as saying, “You were talking about the issue of weevils here. Way back we used to treat weevils by spraying gamatox (pesticide) and they would all die. Our weevils, if you know about them, which we are castigating now, please apply gamatox on them.

“If you do that we will be left with one camp and not to say there is this camp and that camp.”

President Mugabe said Friday his information minister is divisive and attempting to destroy the party from within. Mutasa on Sunday attacked Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa saying he is leading a party faction attempting to take control of Zanu-PF ahead of its congress at the end of the year.

He noted that Vice President Joice Mujuru is not leading another faction as always stated in the media but is a genuine leader of the party as she is part of the presidium.

Mnangagwa and Mujuru are said to be leading factions fighting to succeed the 90-year-old President Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from British rule in 1980.

Mr. Mugabe has clearly stated that the two are not automatic choices to succeed him.
Critics say the public fight between Mr. Mugabe, Moyo, Mutasa and other Zanu-PF followers are an insight of what is in store for the party in the run-up to the its elective congress.