Moses Matenga
The ruling Zanu PF party has admitted blundering in the primary elections held recently but said it was a learning curve.
Vice President Retired General Constantino Chiwenga said the candidates who lost in the primary elections should desist from their moves to sabotage the party out of bitterness in a campaign codenamed “Bhora Musango” saying the move will be costly.
He was speaking at a healing and reconciliation workshop in Harare on Tuesday.
The workshop came amid threats of “bhora musango” and demonstrations in several provinces with losing candidates claiming irregularities and rigging.
“To be honest with ourselves, we have to acknowledge that the entire process was a learning curve hence challenges were encountered in both cell verification exercise and primary elections,” Chiwenga said.
“Our main challenge was anchored on our quest to ensure that as many candidates as possible participated in the elections. In this regard over eight thousand candidates participated in the elections.”
He said despite the challenge, the party has managed to pull through the process adding that the workshop sought to kick out the “bhora musango mantra” being pushed by some losing candidates.
“The programme whose thrust is to preach the gospel of unity and reconciliation to the winning and losing candidates was spearheaded against the backdrop of the need to tackle the “bhora musango” mantra particularly from the losing candidates,” Chiwenga said.
Chiwenga said the programme to unite the candidates began over the weekend with the deployment of central committee members to different districts to preach the message of unity and marketing the candidature of President Mnangagwa.
President Emerson Mnangagwa is expected to address the workshop on Wednesday.
