The wing’s top 10 met in Harare yesterday, but Sandi Moyo (deputy secretary for Women’s Affairs) and Mahoka (secretary for Finance) did not attend the meeting. There were indications that secretary for External Relations in the Women’s League, Tabeth Kanengoni-Malinga was also absent.

While efforts to get comment from Women’s League secretary for Information and Publicity, Thokozile Mathuthu were fruitless, it is understood that the leadership did not object to the calls by lower structures of the organ for the duo to be removed.

It was also not clear if the duo would be suspended or expelled from Zanu-PF.

Last week saw Women’s League members from the grassroots staging demonstrations against Sandi Moyo and Mahoka in all the country’s 10 provinces over a litany of allegations, principally undermining the chairperson of the wing and First Lady, Amai Grace Mugabe.

Sources said the top leadership yesterday deliberated on the demonstrations and accepted the concerns raised by party women. “But it was agreed that the final decision would be made by the national executive when it meets in Harare tomorrow (today),” said a source.

“The (Women’s League) national executive is the one that must come up with the final say when it comes to disciplinary issues concerning the League.” The Women’s League national executive is made up of top 40 members of the wing, with 20 heads and 20 deputies.

It is understood that Women’s League provincial chairpersons were likely to present petitions from their respective provinces soon to the national executive. During last Wednesday’s demonstrations, the organ’s lower structures presented petitions to the Women’s League provincial chairpersons for onward submission to the organ’s national executive.
The provincial chairpersons and members of the Youth League also joined members of the Women’s League and their provincial chairpersons in Bulawayo on Friday and reaffirmed calls for the duo’s ouster.

Charges against Sandi Moyo and Mahoka are that they were working against Amai Mugabe and President Mugabe. Mahoka also stands accused of denigrating Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba early last year.

Apart from undermining the First Lady’s authority, Mahoka and Sandi-Moyo stand accused of embezzling funds sourced from local prophets, business people and corporates using Dr Mugabe’s name without her knowledge. Some of the placards were inscribed: “Sandi and Mahoka handlers bhasopo!”, “Stealing Sisters bring back the money”, “Musangano hauputswe nenhiyo dzeGamatox”, “Sandi, the mother of tribalism”, “No to Sandi and Sarah parallel structures” and “We will cleanse the party of all Sandists.”
Sandi Moyo has already said she was not moved by the protests, but conceded that if the wing wanted her out, it was free to do so.

She claimed the demonstrations were being sponsored by people who wanted to create a wedge between her and the First Family. Asked why she did not attend yesterday’s meeting, Sandi Moyo said: “Am I reporting to you now? No, I don’t report to you! I don’t talk to you about these things.”