Staff Reporter

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) leader Peter Mutasa is reportedly lobbying for a virtual elective congress to be held on a date to be announced, with a view to manipulating the electoral process in his favour.

Mutasa is fast losing grip of the labour union as most unions affiliated to ZCTU are now against his leadership owing to a plethora of accusations, chief among them being politicising the ZCTU, maladministration and embezzlement of donor funds.

A contact within ZCTU revealed to this publication that Mutasa’s lobby for a virtual congress is facing massive resistance from his deputy, Florence Taruvinga’s camp who is aware of his shenanigans. Taruvinga, according to the contact is campaigning hard to dethrone Mutasa who is aligned to the MDC-Alliance and is now unpopular with majority of unions affiliated to ZCTU.

“Taruvinga and her camp are accusing Mutasa of politicising ZCTU arguing that labour issues have been overshadowed by political issues which has resulted in the Civil Service Apex Council recently creating and establishing an alternative labour centre called the Zimbabwe Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (ZCPSTU).

“Mutasa is fully aware that given a free and fair election he will lose to Taruvinga, hence he is trying all tricks possible to rig the coming election,” says the contact.

Mutasa, according to the contact has already started labelling Taruvinga’s camp as a ZANU-PF puppet with a view to tarnishing its image ahead of the elective congress.

According to the contact, Mutasa is being backed by and sponsored by his Western handlers because of his link to the MDC-Alliance. As usual, the funders want him to push the MDC-Alliance agenda through the labour union. The contact told this publication that the Western funders who include the Solidarity Centre of the United States, Federation Voor Open Scoutisine of Belgium want to interfere in the elective congress processes with a view to influencing the outcome in favour of Mutasa and have already pledged US$21 000 towards the congress.

ZCTU traditional funders who include Alpheda of the United States, Lotco of Sweden, FNV Mondial of Netherlands have also pledged US$50 000 towards the congress on condition that it is held virtually. They are also in support of the virtual elective congress as they also believe it will be easier to manipulate the electoral processes in favour of Mutasa