ZANU PF secretary for security Lovemore Matuke this week denied reports that he directed party organs to disband WhatsApp groups which were allegedly being used by some members to cause divisions in the party.
ZANU PF provincial spokespersons recently ordered members to disband the WhatsApp groups with immediate effect while threatening those defying the order with unspecified action.
Provincial leaders insisted that the directive to close them had come “from above.”
Speaking to The Zimbabwe Independent this week, Matuke said he never issued the directives. He said:
Those reports are false. We are not aware of such a directive or even a recommendation from my department.
The publication reported sources within the party as saying ZANU PF top brass could not monitor the activities of members in other WhatsApp groups.
Nigel Murambiwa, who is the ZANU PF Mashonaland West provincial secretary for information and publicity, is one of the provincial leaders who directed the disbandment of WhatsApp groups last weekend. He said:
We did not just ban WhatsApp groups. There are rowdy groups that were formed prior to our internal primary elections and some of the losing candidates and disgruntled supporters of losing candidates are posting denigrating messages that seek to divide or put the name of the party into disrepute. Those are the ones we ordered our members to take down.
Early this year, ZANU PF accused CCC supporters of hijacking constituency WhatsApp groups to campaign for their leader, Nelson Chamisa.
Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s campaign teams have created WhatsApp groups and have been inviting voters to join the groups after clandestinely obtaining their mobile phone numbers.
More: Pindula News