Daniel Shumba speaks out

the party’s directive, as he had already rejoined as an ordinary card-carrying member.

The Politburo resolved on Wednesday that Shumba and Goodwill Shiri should apply to rejoin the party.
In a statement yesterday, Shumba said his party the United Peoples Party was disbanded in September 2009.

“I will abide by Zanu-PF’s directives, but do not know what I am expected to do which I have not already done. Zanu-PF cannot grow by selectively closing out others from rejoining the party. The truth is, I’m a Zanu-PF member and nothing else,” he said.
He said UPP never had a congress to elect any party leader and he was only its “interim president”.

“The UPP clearly did not have an executive, so the only valid statements are those made by myself to the media in November and December 2010,” said Shumba.
“The UPP neither has a face, body or place in Zimbabwe.

“It was disbanded in 2009 and the Press and TV statements were made to the effect.”
Shumba said he applied in writing to rejoin Zanu-PF in July 2010 and was accepted as a member in November 2010.

“I attended both the 2010 and 2011 Zanu-PF Conferences. I have been a member of Zanu-PF since rejoining in 2010, have rejoined from the cell level of Ward 7 in Masvingo District.

“I have since been working (as provided for by the Zanu-PF constitution) at getting Zanu-PF to dominating the political landscape in Masvingo District.
Zanu-PF secretary for information and publicity Cde Rugare Gumbo on Wednesday said the party resolved that Shumba should reapply to rejoin the party after he expelled himself in 2006.

He said Shumba could not be readmitted into the party without disbanding his party and make public statement to that effect with his national executive.
This also applies to Shiri who contested the 2005 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate after he failed to win the Zanu-PF candidacy for Mberengwa.