Roseline Mutare
Veteran bureaucrat and Presidential spokesperson George Charamba, also known as Jamwanda on X handle, has expressed deep concern over the growing indiscipline and misdirection within the ranks of Varakashi, a group he was instrumental in forming to defend ZANU PF policies, and President Mnangagwa.
In a strongly worded statement posted today on his X handle, Charamba lamented the emergence of affiliates that seem to be operating independently, with some even pledging loyalty to lesser officials rather than the party and the President.
“ZANU PF is a unitary party; it has one President and First Secretary, who is ED Mnangagwa, He is the only person who is the face of the Party, and to whom all members and affiliates must pledge untrammeled loyalty for the duration of his mandate,” reads the statement.
Charamba was particularly incensed by young Varakashi members who are idolizing lesser officials and describing their pronouncements as policies or keynote addresses.
“No subaltern pronounces policy or presents keynote addresses, all officials express policies of the Party and the President; they explain, expand or elaborate on all of those, strictly on behalf of the President who appoints and sends them,” he added.
The veteran spokesperson called for tidiness and discipline in messaging, urging members to refrain from expressing loyalty to mere appointees or emissaries of the President.
The pronouncement comes on the heels of a fake indaba which was meant to be addressed by Vice President General (Rtd) Constantino Chiwenga and wealth Zanu PF member, Kudakwashe Tagwirei.
The meeting was trashed by the Ministry of Information as fake as well as the office of the VP.
On Monday Zanu PF spokesperson, Chris Mutsvangwa came out guns blazing against those who want to buy their way into the party’s leadership in apparent reference to Tagwirei who allegedly bought 300 cars for all Zanu PF Central Committee members including Harare’s top six provincial leaders.
Tagwirei is said to be harbouring presidential ambitions hence his generous donations to party members.
Below is the full text from Charamba:
I AM VERY WORRIED WITH THE TURN OF EVENTS: I was instrumental in the formation and management of VARAKASHI: that group of ideologically clear and technically savvy cadres we put together to defend THE PARTY, PARTY POLICIES/DECISIONS, THE PRESIDENT AS THE LEADER OF THE PARTY, ZANU PF, and the policies, laws, decisions and activities of its Government.
The above description summarizes the PURPOSE and MISSION of VARAKASHI. As the movement gained traction and influence, affiliates to it sprang up spontaneously, with the overall aim of augmenting the defence of all of the above. Frankly, I was WISTFUL about that development which amounted to creating AFFILIATES out of an AFFILIATE. That isn’t a clever way of organizing communication and propaganda; it leads to loose management and fissiparous messaging, even leading to messaging indiscipline. Worse, where such affiliates pledge loyalty to persons other than the Party, the President and Government, you begin to have multiple agendas and little loyalties which are injurious to the main line, even as those loyalties and agendas make protestations to the contrary. ZANU PF is a unitary party; it has one President and First Secretary, who is ED Mnangagwa.
He is the only person who is the face of the Party, and to whom all members and affiliates must pledge untrammeled loyalty for the duration of his mandate. No other person enjoys such a status; no other person deserves support of defence approximating what he gets or should get. Above all, only he and he alone makes KEYNOTE ADDRESSES AND PRONOUNCEMENTS. Ndiye anodudza policy negwara remusangano. Lately I see with absolute consternation young Varakashi idolizing lesser officials – all of them appointees of the President – and even describing their run-of-the-mill, banal pronouncements as POLICIES OR KEYNOTE ADDRESSES. No SUBALTERN pronounces POLICY or presents KEYNOTE ADDRESSES.
Not even Vice Presidents!! All officials express policies of the Party and the President; they explain, expand or elaborate on all of those, strictly on behalf of the President who appoints and sends them. We need tidiness on that front. Please!! There is quite some growing indiscipline in our messaging, including expressions of little loyalties to mere appointees or emissaries of the President. THAT MUST STOP FORTHWITH!!!!
