Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Reporter
A TOTAL of 40 aspiring Zanu-PF Matabeleland North Central Committee members have submitted their CVs for the 14 slots available for the province with Tsholotsho and Nkayi districts, losing a slot each.
From the seven districts, Tsholotsho looks set to pit heavyweights against each other.
Tsholotsho district had three slots that were occupied by Cde Alice Dube, Cde Cain Mathema and Cde Sibangumuzi Khumalo.
The seven candidates that submitted their papers, including the incumbent trio, will now contest for two slots, setting the stage for a faceoff among the trio and the quartet of Cdes; Patrick Ngwenya, Kembo Tshuma, Sithandazile Moyo and Sibongile Ngwenya.
Following the party’s position that all those who hold national executive positions are automatically members of the central committee, Tsholotsho South House of Assembly legislator, Cde Musa Ncube who is a member of the Women’s League national executive committee becomes a central committee member from Tsholotsho but not under the two slots with the party having reserved a special quota for women in all the districts.
Dates for the elections will be announced in due course after full scrutiny of the candidates’ CVs by the ruling party’s Politburo.
There won’t be any election in Umguza district after all the candidates, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Obert Mpofu, Beverly Mthombeni and Cde Wilson Tshuma are unopposed, the same with Cde Mpofu’s wife, Sikhanyisiwe under the women’s quota.
Bubi district will have the incumbent duo of Cde Clifford Sibanda and Cde Lot Mbambo being joined by Cde Nqabayezwe Maphosa, Cde Norah Mthethwa and Cde Sithembiso Ndlovu for the three slots that the district now has.
“Allocation of posts per district was done on the party strength, based on the 2018 harmonised elections,” said Zanu-PF Matabeleland North provincial administrator, Cde Bigboy Nkiwane.
Hwange district initially had 10 and the highest number of aspiring candidates that include Speaker of Parliament and incumbent Cde Jacob Mudenda. However, Cde Shelly Mlotshwa withdrew from the race leaving nine candidates, Cde Fati Mpofu who is another incumbent, Cdes; Patrick Utete, Nelson Sibanda, Bornface Sibanda, Binwell Sibanda, Varema Gunda Tatenda, Public Nkomo, and Florence Nkomo.
It remains unknown why Lupane West legislator Cde Martin Khumalo chose not to contest while Cde Mbongeni Dube withdrew leaving Cde Khiwa Ndlovu, Cde Gils Ndlovu, Cde Leonard Moyo, Cde Shadreck Mazibisa and Cde Collen Ndebele to battle it out for the single slot.
For the women’s slots, Binga district has the highest number of contestants with four party members, Cdes; Veronica Munkuli, Rebbeca Fanuel, Eniah Nyoni and Cde Nikela Nkomo throwing in their names for the single slot.
Lupane has three candidates and the second highest in the province after Cde Mail Nkomo, Cde Sithembokuhle Sibanda and Gladys Moyo submitted their CVs.
Three candidates, Cde Sithembiso Nyoni in Nkayi, Cde Siphiwe Mafuwe in Hwange and Cde Sikhanyisiwe Mpofu in Umguza are unopposed.
The party has 194 Central Committee positions with 100 equally shared among the 10 provinces while the remaining 94 are distributed according to the party strength in each of the provinces. The committee is the principal organ of the Congress and the highest decision-making body of the party.
It meets for an ordinary session once every three months or at any time in special or extraordinary sessions and can also amend the constitution but subject to ratification by a congress.
Members who qualify to be considered for the Central Committee positions should have served the party for at least 15 years, with a minimum of five years at provincial level. They must not have a criminal record and should not have been subjected to a disciplinary hearing in the recent past.
Zanu-PF national political commissar Cde Mike Bimha told our Harare Bureau that the party will put in place a national elections directorate that will go through the verification process of CVs before elections.
“After the process we will now be preparing for our congress which is going to take place in October to complete the process of fulfilling the constitutional demands in going through all these elective stages,” Cde Bimha said.
Zanu-PF Matabeleland North Central Committee Candidates:
Women:
Binga: Veronica Munkuli, Rebbeca Fanuel, Eniah Nyoni, Nikela Nkomo,
Bubi: Medeline Bhebhe, Irene Khuphe,
Lupane: Mail Nkomo, Sithembokuhle Sibanda, Gladys Moyo
Nkayi: Sithembiso Nyoni
Umguza: Sikhanyisiwe Mpofu
Hwange: Siphiwe Mafuwa
Men:
Bubi: Clifford Sibanda, Lot Mbambo, Nqabayezwe Maphosa, Norah Mthethwa, Sithembiso Ndlovu
Binga: Tamuka Nyoni, Isaac Ndebele, Joshua Muzambwa, Samuel Mugande, Cephas Mudenda
Hwange: Jacob Mudenda, Fati Mpofu, Patrick Utete, Nelson Sibanda, Bornface Sibanda, Binwell Sibanda, Varema Gunda Tatenda, Public Nkomo, Florence Nkomo
Lupane: Khiwa Ndlovu, Gils Ndlovu, Leonard Moyo, Shadreck Mazibisa, Collen Ndebele
Nkayi: Sihle Moyo, Aleck Nyakuwara, Alice Ndlovu, Elias Mavule, Tshatha Mguni
Tsholotsho: Sibangumuzi Khumalo, Alice Dube, Cain Mathema, Patrick Ngwenya, Kembo Tshuma, Sithandazile Moyo and Sibongile Ngwenya, Musa Ncube (member of the women’s national executive committee)
Umguza: Obert Mpofu, Beverly Mthombeni, Wilson Tshuma. @skhumoyo2000
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