admin
Midlands Bureau Chief
Zanu-PF in the Midlands has elected a new provincial executive to help the chairperson, Cde Jason Machaya, run the party’s business in the province.
The new top members of the Midlands executive who were elected at Monday’s inter-district meeting are Chiundura legislator, Cde Kizito Chivamba (vice-chairperson), Tapiwa Matangaidze, secretary, treasurer, Cde Cephas Sindi while Cde Makhosini Hlongwane is the new Political Commissar, taking over from Kwekwe-based politician, Cde Harris Ncube.
Gokwe-Kana MP, Cde Owen Ncube is the new secretary for security while Cde Vairet Nhari won the women’s league vice-chair post. Cde Prosper Machando is the new Zanu-PF vice-chairperson for the youth league in the Midlands.
The voting exercise, which was being supervised by the director in the commissariat department, Cde Munyaradzi Machacha and Zanu-PF Central Committee member and Mutare businessman, Cde Esau Mupfumi, was only concluded at around 5am on Tuesday.
Cde Machaya, the chairperson of the main wing, was elected in October together with women’s league chairperson, Cde Ellena Shirichena and Cde Edmore Samambwa for the youth league.
The revolutionary party’s provincial executive elections in the Midlands kicked-off on Monday at a snail’s pace and were only concluded on Tuesday owing to some crowd disturbances.
Chaos reigned supreme in the opening stages of the elections as delegates would query some of the nominated candidates.
Each time names of aspiring candidates from the various districts for the executive posts were called out, the crowd would respond by either jeering or shouting their disapproval, threatening to derail proceedings of the inter-district meeting held at the Conference Centre in Gweru.
Order was only restored when Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, called the meeting to order.
He, however, advised those organising the elections to accommodate the wishes of the people by respecting the list of candidates that came from their respective districts.
In an interview, Cde Machaya said the voting exercise went on well as the party managed to usher in a new team to run its affairs in the province.
He said the Midlands team was ready for the annual People’s Conference to be held in Chinhoyi tomorrow.
“We are ready for the national people’s conference. Delegates will meet tomorrow (today) at our usual pick up points. Thursday is a travelling day since the official opening is on Friday.
“We hope that the conference will come up with resolutions that will help the economic blueprint, Zim Asset revive industry. We are from the Midlands, the industrial hub of the country. That is why we need resolutions that will help resuscitate industry. We need a work plan that will quickly unlock the industries as time is not on our side,” said Cde Machaya.
The Midlands chairperson said his team was also expecting the conference to help solve the liquidity crunch affecting the economy.
He said people were suffering and the conference should quickly come up with solutions to the challenges affecting various sectors of the economy.
“The conference should come up with a position that will help solve liquidity challenges. We should also unveil a drought mitigation programme to cushion our people from the effects of drought. The majority of our people have cleared their grain reserves and are now depending on imported grain, they are joining the food aid list. All Grain Marketing Board depots in the province are almost empty and we need to restock our depots with this imported grain for our people’s sake,” he said.
Cde Machaya said he was confident the Chinhoyi conference would be conducted in a jovial mood following Zanu-PF’s resounding victory in the July 31 harmonised elections.
He, however, was quick to add that, while people celebrated the revolutionary party’s victory, they should not lose focus of the pressing issues affecting the economy.
Online Reporter