Forever Associates Zimbabwe

Organisation Structure

Cause

To organize members to preferentially access opportunities for their economic empowerment, full integration into society and political consciousness; and to contribute, through active mobilisation aimed at winning the hearts and minds of the Electorate, to the continuance, in perpetuity, of the revolutionary governance of Zimbabwe by the Zanu PF.

^[1]

Forever Associate Zimbabwe is a private organisation duly registered.

• Trust - Deed of Trust No. MA 124/2010 issued on 9 February 2010
• Private Limited Company - Registration No. 12173/2022 on 2 June 2022.

to answer Motherland Zimbabwe and Zanu PF call to duty in pursuit of national peace, economic development and stability.

Pioneers, leaving Zimbabwe

The FAZ website gives a list of The Pioneers but no other current leadership is put forward. A founding lecturer was Dr Bongani Ngwenya (CEO/Founder), who later acquired permanent residence in South Africa, where he supervises doctoral students.
Of the six founding Trustees, only the Chairman - Kudakwashe Mavula Munsaka, Kudzaiishe Mangidza and Gillian Shambare are still in Zimbabwe.

• Fungai Jonga is in Spain
• Trinity Mashava in Dubai (UAE)
• Winfilda Chirango in Australia.

Similarly, three of the original founding top executives who were not Trustees, namely:

• Valentine Fidel Tapfumaneyi,
• Samson Mangozhe
• Brighton Mubaiwa

working at different trades in Harare.
The remaining two,

• Ruvimbo Tambara, in France,
• Linda Manda, in South Africa.

The Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs was dissolved in April 2015, marking the suspension of the founding political direction and initiatives associated with FAZ.

Offers

Core values

What We Live By - The years that FAZ founders spent at Solusi University instilled in them the college motto, which simply states, “We serve”.

• Live to serve, in answer to our Motherland Zimbabwe’s and ZANU PF’s call to duty in pursuit of national peace, economic development and stability. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Who shall I send? Who will go for us? And I said, “Here I am. Send me!”. Isaiah 6: Verse 8
• Live to serve , in pursuit of national peace, economic development and stability. Members are strictly guided by the principles of hard honest work, a sense of duty, pride of belonging, patriotism, discipline, teamwork and unity of purpose.
• Members cherish and uphold the Ethos of Zimbabwe’s Liberation Struggle.
• Members espouse the political culture and Democratic Market Socialist Ideology, alternatively referred to as Socialism with Zimbabwean Characteristics or Gwara ReGutsaruzhinji, which is the ideology of ZANU PF and, at the same time, the dominant ideology of Zimbabwe.
• Members will be humble, disciplined, well-mannered, smartly turned out, dignified and resilient in all their engagements, as a mark of our good character and upbringing.
• Members will respect elders and the hierarchy of authority; always seeking and speaking truth based on facts; will not engage in idle chatter; and will not make promises that we do not intend to keep.
• Members espouse zero tolerance to violence, rent-seeking behaviour, drunkenness, drug abuse and corruption.
• Members shall not damage, seize or steal people’s property.
• Members shall not talk down to the people, but also take time to listen to their views, needs and aspirations.
• Members shall, lastly, because members know the value that the people of Zimbabwe attach to their time as they eke out their living, members will respect their time. Members will be both punctual and prompt in all our public and private engagements with them.

Involvement

FAZ are involved in:

• Medical Facilities
  Construction of hospitals and research centres like the National Pathology Research and Diagnostic Centre at Midlands State University (MSU) in Gweru.
• Construction
  Including the construction of universities, the new parliament building, houses, dams, roads, courts, hospitals and recreational parks among others.
  Water Projects - Construction of Kunzvi and Muchekeranwa Dams in Mashonaland East. Construction of Marovanyati Dam in Buhera. 25 October 2022
• Gold Mining
  Resuscitation of the Shamva Gold Mine (see Gold) and Eureka Mine in Guruve, in Mashonaland Central Province.
• Other mining
  Karo Resources opened a platinum Mine in Mhondoro, Mashonaland West Province. 25 October 2022.
• Economic Issues
  Government has worked hard to stabilise the country’s currency. The first achievement was from July 2022, the currency has stabilised due to the 2nd Republic’s financial policy interventions. 25 October 2022.
  Engagement and Re-engagement Drive Zimbabwe is Open for Business. This call was made by the President to both local and international business. 25 October 2022
• Food Security
  Obtaining farming inputs under the Presidential Input Scheme, Command Agriculture and Pfumvudza/Intwasa productivity. (Ministry of Local Government, Public Works, and National Housing Minister was Saviour Kasukuwere 2009 to 2017)
  Presidential Rural Development Programmes. Access to safe and clean water. The project targets to drill boreholes at every village and school in Zimbabwe. 25 October 2022
• Education/Science and Technology
  Education 5.0 which focuses on technological advancement. This has led to the creation of innovation hubs at many universities which are carrying out scientific researche e.g. Verify Engineering Oxygen Plant in Mutare has led to creation of employment and production of enough oxygen and nitrogen for our medical purposes. 25 October 2022
• Social Responsibility
  Provision of affordable transport (ZUPCO) to the general citizenry. 25 October 2022

Events

Zanu PF primary elections

It has been reported in May 2023 that President Emmerson Mnangagwa created a parallel structure, to run internal polls of his party, Zanu PF. It is run by the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) and will influence the outcome of the upcoming elections in August.

Zanu PF’s primary elections were held in March and showed massive rigging and vote-buying. At the core of the scandal was the Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ), run by CIO deputy director Retired Brigadier-General Walter Tapfumaneyi, which took this role over from Heritage Trust that ran the national elections in November 2018. The Zanu PF primaries included some surprises, such as Mnangagwa’s closest ally Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs minister Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, not being elected. ^[2]

Tapfumaneyi, Chihoyi

It was reported in March 2023, that CIO agents in Chinhoyi were working in fear of forced transfers or dismissal as Jessica Tapfumaneyi, the wife of the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) Deputy Director, Rtd Army Brigadier Asher Tapfumaneyi was terrorizing CIO operatives and Zanu PF members over the party’s ongoing restructuring exercise through a Zanu PF affiliate group linked to the CIO. Jessica Tapfumaneyi is reportedly one of the leaders of Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ).

Asher Tapfumaneyi is reportedly seeking a parliamentary seat in Zvimba South Constituency, currently held by Presidential chief fundraiser Philip Chiyangwa, so has been targeting Chiyangwa’s key allies in the constituency to weaken his support through a systematic process where party leaders sympathetic to the businessman will be arrested, or suspended from their positions over various trumped up charges. A confidential informant said, She has been instructing us to instill fear in party members suspected to be hostile to her ambitions for becoming an MP using the affiliate through claiming that some of the party members especially district chairpersons are working with the opposition so that they are taken away from her path and this issue is more pronounced in Zvimba South Constituency where she has a farm and where she intends to stand as an MP he continued. The ‘affiliate’ has recruited young people nationwide who are being paid by the government through the CIO with the least paid taking home US$200 among other perks as the country moves towards the general elections.

So there is some confusion and blurring of lines dividing state and government actions and funds, not to mention the question, is she standing or her husband?

Zanu PF spokesperson and politburo member Christopher Mutsvangwa, who was leading the party restructuring exercise in Mashonaland West Province, once told affiliates that the party is supreme and affiliate organizations should follow instructions from the party and not to lead or direct the party business. Affiliates such as FAZ and Heritage should be reminded that Zanu PF Party is supreme and affiliates cannot be the ones dictating on party issues, when you go to cell, branch, or district the party chairperson there is the one in charge as you ‘affiliates’ are there to help bring more members to the party just like when we were at war if you were given a gun that did not mean that the gun was now leading the war it was the party leading the war so affiliates should be guided accordingly he once told a Zanu PF provincial coordinating committee meeting. Justice Minister and Politburo member Ziyambi Ziyambi echoed Mutsvangwas sentiments and said the party restructuring exercise was the sole duty of Zanu PF members and its leadership and warned affiliates against fanning parallel party structures. ^[3]

Voters Roll

In May 2023, there were allegations reported that Forever Associates Zimbabwe had hijacked the voters roll inspection centres in some areas and were reportedly demanding proof of Zanu PF membership from those wishing to check their names on the roll. Inspecting the voters roll is a free process so it is unfortunate that the law appears not to be taking its course and the party should demand the arrest of these characters who are bringing the party name into disrepute. The party should not stand by while its reputation is being tarnished by characters purporting to be advancing its cause. ^[4]

Defense Minister summoned

In June 2023, the Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri was summoned to parliament, to give information on FAZ, the organisation that presided over Zanu-PF primary elections in March 2023, (that were described as chaotic) and then seemed to be meddling in the national electoral processes. FAZ was not known to be a Constitutional body and the question then raised was why the organisation was interfering with the electoral process.

Tendai Biti posed the question:

In terms of Chapter 11 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, our Constitution recognises our security forces and security agents, which consist of the military, police, prisons and correctional service and intelligence. By virtue of Section of 208 (they) are bound to respect this Parliament as an elected civilian authority.

During this current ongoing voters’ roll inspection exercise, we are seeing at polling stations a creature and individuals coming from a creature called FAZ. They are virtually in every polling station. We read that they purport to come from the intelligence service but we know the intelligence service and our intelligence authority. What is this creature called FAZ, why is it interfering with our elections? I know from the ruling party Zanu-PF that FAZ even interfered in their primary elections.

May the Minister of Defence come and explain what FAZ is doing in our polling stations when in terms of the law only ZEC officials, political parties and candidates are allowed to be in the polling stations.

Accordingly, the Speaker of Parliament ordered the responsible Minister to bring a ministerial statement. ^[5]

Document

In June 2023, a document was put out - titled Scope of Campaign Activities, details of what should be done to ensure President Emmerson Mnangagwa and ZANU PF’s victory. Some suggested activities are: Door-to-door intimate voter contact. The mainstay of this campaign. It can also be workplace to workplace, talking to individual voters one at a time. These visits must not be once-off but must become regular. This, enables the volunteer to know the problems voters face, gauge their level of support for the party and candidate, and tailor messages and campaign activities to address their concerns. This must be done almost intrusively, as a way of maintaining intimacy.

Once the party has access to the voters’ roll, preferably broken down to constituencies and even to polling stations, volunteers must keep in touch with registered voters through texting and phoning. FAZ volunteers are required to intrusively access party cell registers, from party cell chairmen, and check and verify their accuracy and integrity. To this end, FAZ then discretely conducts a head count of cell members, checking if they are registered to vote. Four times monthly, on Sundays, the constituency team is required to come together and host public events at Growth Points and other population centres in the constituencies, during which people are entertained with music and movies. These shows are then interrupted at intervals to address these audiences, imparting the party’s campaign message.

FAZ volunteers, either individually or in groups, must never engage in political violence, except in self-defence for purposes of extricating themselves from an attack if one is foisted upon them. They, accordingly, must not offer themselves to be used as such or to accept instructions from any authority to engage in violence for whatever reason. It is not in FAZ, the party’s or the president’s pedigree, plan, interest or desire to use violence as a campaign tool. Any FAZ member who engages in acts of politically motivated violence, other than for purposes of self-defence under strictly exceptional circumstances, will be automatically expelled and deregistered from the Trust.

This then is reasonably standard Political Party tactics – all over the world – to build a parties’ support. Reminiscent of the liberation struggle (all night pungwes, etc.) It does not encourage, of even indicate, FAZ members have any special access to voters rolls, polling stations, voter registration centres, and similar spaces. Under these rules, demanding party cards to be shown to access these places is a violation of this document’s contents. And violence is forbidden, except in self-defence.

The document also does not go into any details of FAZ officials, funding, Constitution, Deed of Trust details, or any internal workings or structures of the FAZ. Any of the questions the Minister of Defence has been summoned to Parliament to answer. ^[6]

Norman Mawungwa suicide

In October 2023, Norman Mawungwa, described as notorious, hanged himself from a tree after leaving a suicide audio message. He was alleged to be a FAZ associate.

It is was not reported here why he hanged himself. However his note did say he had no funeral policy and pleaded for a decent burial, a plea made to party members and relatives.

• He also specified his preferred resting place was at a hill but family elders buried him at his homestead.
• Mawungwa’s body was not allowed in the homestead after being removed from the tree where he hung, as per local customs. The body was dumped and spent day and night in a field covered with tree branches and only collected in the morning and taken straight to the grave for burial. Women at the funeral reportedly refused to give undertakers their MaZambia (wrapping cloths), to be used to lower the coffin into the grave.
• The MP for the area, Pupurai Togarepi, whom Mawungwa worked for during the August 2023 election campaigns, and the reason he made so many enemies, did not turn up or deliver an official condolence message.
• There was no Zanu PF official at the funeral of the man who was accused of killing and brutalising perceived opposition supporters for the sake of the party.
• All of Mawungwa’s clothes were thrown into the grave and family members resolved not to take any souvenir from the deceased.
• Zanu PF, which was expected to take over funeral costs, did not provide a beast to be slaughtered at the funeral, and as a result, mourners were served sadza with cabbages.
• FAZ member Mugove Mubaiwa claimed that Zanu PF donated US$1 000 towards the funeral, however Mawungwa was laid to rest in a coffin priced at US$90. It was said that It’s either the US$1 000 was stolen within Zanu PF ranks or people were lied to that there was a donation otherwise how does one explain such a pauper burial where mourners could not even get a decent meal?

A local teacher reportedly tortured by Mawungwa in 2008 said: I came all the way from Mpandawana just to see for myself that this evil man was gone. God exists, the man has been buried like a rat. They buried him like they were burying a rat. ^[7]

Further Reading