Chinomona blasts Manicaland Provincial Minister Matsikenyere
Mabel Chinomona
THE deadly Zanu PF divisions were on free show in Mutare on Friday when women’s league boss Mabel Chinomona publicly savaged Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Nokuthula Matsikenyere for snubbing her events and accused her of gross incompetence.
She also blasted Matsikenyere saying she has turned the government complex housing her offices into a centre for gossiping.
Chinomona was speaking during a women’s league outreach and skills training program for Manicaland’s Indigenous church held at Mutare Showgrounds.
The women’s league, together with Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches (ZIICC), has already implemented the same initiatives in Masvingo and Mashonaland East provinces.
An irate Chinomona said Matsikenyere’s conduct was an affront to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to appoint more female ministers.
Zanu PF insiders from the province say there is bad blood between Chinomona and Matsikenyere resulting from their alleged factional allegiances.
Matsikenyere is said to belong to a faction in the party aligned to ambitious Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is widely believed to be fighting to dislodge Mnangagwa
“President Mnangagwa responded very well to our plea as he appointed five female ministers. To my surprise, let me confess so God will have mercy on me. I came here two or three months ago but I never saw the minister of state (Matsikenyere) in attendance, maybe it was because I was the one officiating the event,” Chinomona fumed.
“Today it is the same thing, I didn’t saw her again. I cannot understand. Is it that women who are gathered here are not important or maybe the guest speaker is the one who is not important? This event should have been graced by those who represent the president in this province,” she fumed.
The Women’s League boss also rapped Minister Matsikenyere for ill-treating ZIICC’s officials after they visited her office earlier
I was not happy when the bishops told me they were not properly handled during their visit. I was surprised that as officials we do not want to have a good relationship with church. We are appointed in these offices so that we serve the public not ourselves,” she said.
“I know some amongst us have been sent to hear about what we will say. I am not ashamed to speak truthfully. It is not our fault that you have failed to do your duty as expected. We cannot say you are good at executing your job when you are really not,” she said.
“If us women are appointed in office, we must perform so that we may not be criticised for calling for more female ministers. If you have been given the chance to lead the province, you must then prove that you can do it. If you fail, you will close doors for other women who will come after you. That office must operate not to use it as a place for gossiping. They will say we have given you a chance, but you failed to utilise because you were pre-occupied with gossiping,” Chinomona, also President of the Senate, said.
–-New Zimbabwe
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