Bulawayo — ZANU-PF Secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday described as "rubbish" reports that he is a leader of a faction fighting against the recent dissolution of the party's District Co-ordinating Committees.

Some sections of the media have linked Cde Mnangagwa, who is also the Minister of Defence, to a clique of disgruntled Zanu-PF members from the Midlands Province, which was against the party's resolution to disband DCCs.

It was reported in some sections of the media that the dissolution of DCCs had affected Cde Mnangagwa's supposed succession battle pitting him against Vice President Joice Mujuru.

In an interview on the sidelines of an indigenisation and empowerment workshop for rural-based youths in Mvuma, Cde Mnangagwa attacked the private media for "abusing their right to freedom of expression by publishing unfounded and fabricated" stories.

He said he was surprised to read about the Midlands province's alleged stubbornness on the DCCs' dissolution.

Cde Mnangagwa said it was the province that was the first to endorse the Politburo decision to disband the party structure.

"I am equally surprised by what the private media has been reporting on the party position to disband the DCC structures.

"Those reports are false. It's rubbish and contrary to the facts on the ground. Maybe you can help, go and ask them where they are getting all these fabrications."

Cde Mnangagwa said the Midlands Province had always been known as a Zanu-PF stronghold, hence its being the first to endorse the party position on the disbanding of DCCs.

"In his report in the Politburo on Wednesday, the Secretary for Administration, Cde Didymus Mutasa said Midlands was the first province to endorse the move to disband DCCs and these reports, which claim that the province is against a decision that was unanimously agreed at, are a mere fabrication," said Cde Mnangagwa.

The Politburo announced in June the decision to dissolve DCCs after classifying them as "divisive".

Cde Mutasa and a team that comprised party spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo, the National Political Commissar Cde Webster Shamu and war veterans chairperson Cde Jabulani Sibanda visited provinces explaining the rationale behind the disbanding of the structure.

The team told Zanu-PF provincial co-ordinating committees in all provinces that the dissolution of DCCs would strengthen the party as it would promote direct communication between the executive and the grassroots.

Announcing the dissolution of the DCCs in June, President Mugabe said they were created to co-ordinate the management of the party structures, yet they made things difficult.

This followed reports of imposition of candidates during DCC elections, especially in Masvingo and Manicaland provinces.

Some influential Zanu-PF members were allegedly manipulating DCCs and causing divisions in the revolutionary party.