Chebundo happy to be in Zanu PF

Patrick Chitumba and Conrad Mupesa
Former MDC-Alliance top official Cde Blessing Chebundo yesterday said he was honoured to be back in Zanu PF.

Cdes Chebundo and Lillian Timveos were last month welcomed by Zanu PF First Secretary and President Cde Mnangagwa at State House where they held an hour long meeting.

On Saturday, they were introduced to the Midlands provincial leadership during the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held in Gweru.

They were welcomed by Politburo members, Cdes Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and July Moyo, among other senior provincial party members.

Addressing the PCC, Cde Chebundo said: “The good part is that all Politburo members are here, I know them, they are friends, they are relatives. I know them as Midlanders like me. What a privilege, what an honour, I feel highly honoured to be a member of Zanu PF and I will bring experience and supporters so that we win elections as Zanu PF under the astute leadership of President Mnangagwa.”

Cde Chebundo said it was not an easy decision to jump ship, but had to leave due to factionalism.

He added that he was not in Zanu PF for positions, but to work together and develop the country.

Cde Timveous also said: “Thank you for welcoming me and I would like to thank President Mnangagwa, my father for welcoming us at State House. I am here to work for the party.

“I want to work for President Mnangagwa so that he wins the elections and let me reiterate that I am not here to take anyone’s position.”

Zanu PF Midlands Provincial chairperson Engineer Daniel Mackenzie Ncube said the two comrades will soon attend Chitepo School of Ideology to learn the values and principles of the ruling party.

“We want to win back the seats we lost to the opposition in Kwekwe, Gweru and Zvishavane hence the need to work together. We welcome these two comrades and we will learn a lot from them,” he said.

Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Larry Mavima said: “As we speak, multitudes of MDC-Alliance supporters have crossed the floor in Zvishavane.

We don’t have the exact figure right now and the same is happening in Kwekwe.

This signals a surge in party supporters for the ruling party.

“We have a son from the Midlands, a son from Zvishavane who is in power. This is a God given time for President Mnangagwa to receive all the support we can give him and not to oppose for the sake of opposing. So, we shared the same thought and ground with Cde Chebundo and Cde Timveous.”

Meanwhile, Zanu PF national Political Commissar Cde Victor Matemadanda has warned some newly-elected District Coordination Committee (DCC) members for causing divisions in the party.

Addressing some of the DCC members in Mashonaland West during the party’s Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting in Chinhoyi on Saturday, Cde Matemadanda said: “Some DCC members have become a law unto themselves because they have been voted in.

They have started suspending leaders and I don’t know where they have gotten the powers from.

“Some DCC members including chairmen are de-campaigning sitting MPs, provincial or even Politburo members just because they are now in the DCC.

“Zanu PF DCCs do not have power and authority to conduct any disciplinary and suspension actions. Theirs is only to coordinate party activities and programmes.”

He urged party members to record all DCC members that are threatening others with expulsion and suspension and send their names to the commissariat, the security department and National Chairman, Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.

He urged DCC members to formulate strategies to mobilise five million votes ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections.

The PCC meeting was also attended and addressed by Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri, Secretary for Security Cde Lovemore Matuke, Secretary for Science and Technology, Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa and provincial chairman, Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi.

Another meeting to introduce new DCC members was held in Mashonaland East province where provincial leaders challenged the members to work towards ensuring the party wins the next polls but at the same time implement various projects for the attainment of Vision 2030 of an upper middle income society.