BY SIMBARASHE SITHOLE
FIRST LADY Auxillia Mnangagwa’s family fun day at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura on Saturday was marred by low attendance, amid fears that the event could have fallen victim to Zanu PF factional fights for control of Mashonaland Central province.
The programme, which had been scheduled to start at 10am, started three hours later with mostly schoolchildren and a few bussed Zanu PF supporters in attendance.
According to ruling party insiders, the First Lady took almost two hours grilling Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs minister Monica Mavhunga and chairperson Kazembe Kazembe behind closed doors, accusing them of failing to properly mobilise people for her event.
“Mnangagwa was not happy with the attendance and she took Mavhunga and Kazembe to task for failing to mobilise supporters to her event. She allegedly fumed as she compared her poorly attended events with those of the former First Lady Grace Mugabe which were fairly attended,” the source said.
Both Mavhunga and Kazembe could not be reached for comment after the event.President Emmerson Mnangagwa has on two occasions cancelled his scheduled rallies in the province and has not visited the province since last year’s general election, amid reports of wide rifts emerging within the party’s top leadership.
In her brief address, the First Lady said the event was meant to promote economic development through sport tourism and diplomacy.
