The AAG meeting, which drew provincial leadership got rowdy after allegations of maladministration were levelled against the Supa Mandiwanzira led executive by one of their own, Themba Mliswa, who was the first vice president of the empowerment group.

Supa Mandiwanzira could not stomach the accusations and he forced his way to address the gathering clarifying issues levelled against his team.

During his address, Mliswa a former rubgy player jumped to his feet and attacked the former radio and TV personality leaving him bloodied.

Police were called in but sources said they were dispersed under the order of controversial Harare businessman Phillip Chiyangwa.

This follows accusations and counter accusations which almost sucked in other members of the Zanu PF empowerment group.

AAG has been facing constraints following the passing of the vote of no confidence on the Mandiwanzira led executive which subsequently led to the stepping down of members, paving way for founder members to take control of the group for the next three months.

he ZANU PF led Affirmative Action Group (AAG) has launched a probe into the goings-on of its former leadership, which some analysts have said is a sign of deepening cracks within Robert Mugabe’s party.

Former AAG President Supa Mandiwanzira and four national executive members all announced that they were stepping down from the group’s leadership this week. This followed a vote of no-confidence in the executive, apparently because the leadership was sidelining grassroots members.

The group has now been taken over by its original founder, Robert Mugabe’s nephew Phillip Chiyangwa and founding Secretary-General Tendai Savanhu.

Savanhu has also been tasked with investigating some allegations raised by provincial AAG members over the manner in which the group was being run.

Last week, political analyst Professor John Makumbe said the collapse of AAG’s leadership was expected.

He explained how earlier this year Mandiwanzira and the AAG had resigned in protest over Chiyangwa’s unilateral appointment of a Vice President. That split was mended soon after, but Makumbe said it was only a matter of time before Chiyangwa took over.

“The AAG is the business wing of ZANU PF and the collapse of the leadership is indicative of the collapse of the party,” Makumbe said.

He added: “This is part and parcel of the fight within ZANU PF, which is jockeying for control of businesses under the indigenisation drive. Every one knows that the AAG will lead the way in determining who gets the shares, so people are trying to offload each other from the group.”

Mandiwanzira last month also allegedly faced the ire of ZANU PF politicians after he publicly castigated them for fighting over shares in Zimplats, which is under pressure to cede more than half of its shareholding. Speaking at a public lecture at the Midlands State University titled “Demystifying Indigenisation” Mandiwanzira said the AAG was against people stepping on each others toes in a bid to get a controlling stake of the mining firm.

“We ask these people to back off. Zimplats is a big company that cannot be taken by an individual. We are saying every Zimbabwean should benefit from such big profit making companies therefore every one should get the shares instead of one person,” Mandiwanzira said.

Makumbe said it is likely that these comments caused Mandiwanzira to fall out of favour with key ZANU PF business figures. He added that the AAG has been widely discredited as nothing more than a platform for ZANU PF functionaries to take root in business under the guise of ‘affirmative action’.

By Special correspondent