By Takunda Mandura
Zimbabwe Congress of Student Unions (ZICOSU) acting President Howard Madya has disassociated the union from Tonderai Chidawa and Tinashe Mashambo who were booted out from the union on the basis of abuse of office.
He accused Chidawa of failing to facilitate ZICOSU to hold elections in 2015. Chidawa was alleged put in office in an interim basis but he failed to conduct elections to usher in new leadership.
“The duo converted the resources for these elections campaigns to their own use resulting in ZICOSU failing to hold elections “he said
He went on to blast the ousted duo on allegations of sexually abusing female students adding that “Madzimai akakosha (Women are precious), we cannot, we cannot, we cannot tolerate such devilish behavior,”
ZICOSU has been caught in the fierce factionalism currently in ruling ZANU PF party with Chidawa having participated in the meeting that resulted in some party youths attcking President Robert Mugabe and his wife.
The duo are also believed to be fanning factionalism by undermining some elected SRC members of ZICOSU and also abusing senior politicians in ZANU-PF and government officals.
Madya and the acting Political Commissar Lovejoy Ngara admitted that the student body was an affilaition of the ruling ZANU PF .
“We (ZICOSU) are an affiliate of ZANU PF, we share the same ideology with ZANU PF,”he said
Madya urged members of the public and ZANU PF not to work with the duo as ZICOSU will not be accountable for their actions.
However the ousted leadership hit back through a statement of their own insisting that they were still the legitimate leaders of the organisation.
The statement read ” ZICOSU distances itself from a pres statement circulating in the media purporting the expulsion of President Tonderai Chidawa and Secretary General Tinashe Mashamba”
The statement claimed that Madya was suspended on charges of indiscipline, gross misconduct and fanning factionalism.
Meanwhile according to the Madya faction the interim ZICOSU structure will be led by the acting President Howard Madya (Mashonaland West), secretary general George Makonese (Harare), Treasure general Tapiwa Nyamuda (Mashonaland Central) political commissar Lovejoy Ngara (Midlands)
