Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial chairman Cde Ray Kaukonde has urged supporters to be wary of prospective candidates who could cause divisions in the party. Addressing the party and traditional leaders in Kotwa, Mudzi district during the weekend, Cde Kaukonde urged the leaders to be wary of people using cheap politics to garner support ahead of the party primaries.

Cde Kaukonde also handed over 20 tonnes of mealie-meal to vulnerable members of the district. The mealie-meal was sourced from National Foods (Pvt) Ltd.

The Zanu-PF provincial chairman also handed over 107 blankets to be distributed among five newly built clinics and the local district hospital.

Cde Kaukonde, however, challenged aspiring candidates to assist people in the district.

"We have received reports of people secretively approaching village heads seeking their support. In Zanu-PF, as was done during the liberation struggle, we meet people as a group not individuals."

He called for unity in the party ahead of the harmonised elections set for this year.

"We should be ready for the elections. No-one knows when the election dates would be announced. The party leadership in the province is not aware of the dates but we need to be ready for the elections."

Cde Kaukonde said the provincial leadership would be visiting all the districts to check on the party structures.

"We are going across the districts to check on the structures at all levels. We will come as a group, not individuals. We have received reports that there are people coming to chiefs and village heads during the night seeking their support. That is not the way we do things in Zanu-PF. These people will be disciplined because they are bent on causing divisions in the party. Anyone canvassing for support as an individual is not ours. That is not the Zanu-PF way of doing things," he said.

Cde Kaukonde blamed divisions in the party for some losses suffered in 2008.