Chief Charumbira’s PAP leadership prevailed over opposing forces: Shamu

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By Elvis Dumba

Banket – Efforts to scuttle Zimbabwe’s efforts to clinch the Pan Africa Parliament (PAP) Presidency fell by the wayside after a Southern African country delegate was paid to contest for the same post at the last minute despite initially agreeing to rally behind Zimbabwe’s delegate Chief Fortune Charumbira.

ZANU PF Chegutu East Constituency legislator Webster Shamu said this during a ZANU PF inter-constituency districts meeting for Zvimba North and East constituencies.

“Sometimes we have traitors among us. When we were in South Africa for the Pan African Parliament, there was an attempt to scuttle Chief Charumbira’s election for the presidency after a Malawian was bribed to stand against him at the last minute,” he told delegates at the meeting.

“Most countries had agreed to support us to clinch the presidency. We had one country in the whole of Southern Africa which had one delegate who was bribed to contest after we had initially agreed to support Chief Charumbira collectively,” Hon Shamu said.

“When we were making our presentations and one of the Malawian delegations made a sudden about-turn, we realized he had been paid,” Hon Shamu said

He said the election of Chief Charumbira is a clear demonstration of Africa’s confidence in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s quality leadership.

“It was not that hard to convince other African delegates in South Africa. Most of them were more than prepared to vote for our candidate as they have seen the leadership quality of our President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Efforts by our detractors failed,” he said.

The veteran politician said there is no place for divisions in ZANU (PF ) and rallied people to foster unity of purpose and emulate President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s hard work.