PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has warned the warring factions within his party to stop mudslinging in public and instead use party channels to settle disputes.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

President Robert Mugabe (inset right) hands over donated vehicles to War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube at Zanu PF headquarters in Harare yesterday.

Addressing the Press soon after a politburo meeting yesterday, Zanu PF secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo said Mugabe had called on his troops to be united and avoid the public spats that have continued to afflict the party.

“He (Mugabe) urged members to resolve their differences in the central committee or the politburo, which has always been the way used by Zanu PF in dealing with issues,” he said.

Mugabe’s call comes after a series of public fights by Zanu PF protagonists angling to succeed the 92-year-old leader. Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere have accused Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa of capturing State institutions to fight G40, a rival faction also harbouring ambitions for power.

The fights, that have also been played out on social medal platforms such as twitter, have reached new levels, with Moyo threatening to haul Mnangagwa before the courts.

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But Chombo yesterday said Mugabe called for unity within his increasingly fractured party and also descended on the commissariat over the way it handled the selection of the Norton by-election candidate.

“President Mugabe implored party members to be united at all levels. He further advised that due care should be taken in choosing candidates in by-elections to avoid repetition of the Norton situation,” he said.

Mugabe has made such calls in the past, but they have largely gone unheeded, as factionalism threatens to rip the party apart.

Zanu PF also discussed preparations for the Masvingo conference, which will be hosted at the tune of $4 million, with the party already having raised nearly $3,7 million through a dinner dance held last Friday.

“The secretary for finance, Obert Mpofu, needs $4 million and he is of the view that when all the compilations are done, it should be around $3,6 to $3,7 million available so we are quite happy with the efforts that have been made,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Zanu PF national disciplinary committee has lifted the suspensions of former political commissar, Webster Shamu, Flora Buka and Francis Nhema.

“They are back in the party as ordinary members and they are free to contest any position in the party they might want to contest. The three chairpersons, who are under suspension, will be discussed in the next politburo meeting because there was no time to discuss them,” Chombo said.

The three were sacked from the party in 2014 on allegations of working with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru in an alleged plot to oust Mugabe.