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and Cde Callistus Ndlovu as chairpersons for Manicaland and Bulawayo provinces was above board since the party was dealing withextraordinary matters in need of urgent solutions.
Zanu-PF performed dismally in the two provinces losing all 12 seats in Bulawayo and managing only six out of a possible 26 seats in Manicaland.
Responding to concerns that the Politburo appointments were stifling intra-party democracy since the grassroots are expected to elect their leaders, Zanu-PF national spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo yesterday said that the two chairpersons were appointed in an acting capacity to oversee party activities until elections are held.
The Zanu-PF constitution stipulates that provincial leaders should be elected by the respective provinces and not by the national executive.
When dealing with an emergency, Cde Gumbo said, the party conducts extraordinary Politburo meetings to deal with those situations like what it did in the two cases.
Cde Gumbo said in line with the party’s constitution, the respective provinces would be allowed to elect substantive leadership of their choices after harmonised elections expected to be held during the first half of the year. “Under normal circumstances provinces elect their own leadership but here we are dealing with a crisis situation. The Politburo has the right to appoint an interim leadership in acting capacity in such situations,” he said.
Cde Gumbo said following the suspension of Cde Mike Madiro as Manicaland provincial chair, the party was left without anyone to oversee its activities. He said Ambassador Mvundura’s appointment had nothing to do with Cde Madiro’s court case.
“The way he (Cde Madiro) was conducting the province from the report we got from the national chairman was not pleasing,” said Cde Gumbo.
There have been some squabbles in the party in Manicaland pitting secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa and Women’s league boss Cde Oppah Muchinguri over the administration of the province.
This led to a group opposed to Cde Mutasa petitioning the party’s President and First Secretary to intervene.
Cde Gumbo said in Manicaland, all the aggrieved parties had since agreed to work together for the betterment of the party.
Asked on how Cde Mutasa was appointed to be part of the Manicaland probe team yet he was also being implicated in fanning problems in the province, Cde Gumbo said: “That team was set up way before the Manicaland issue. It was set to probe Bulawayo and the Manicaland issue came later.”
The probe team is led by national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo and other members are national political commissar Cde Webster Shamu and secretary for security Cde Sydney Sekeramayi.
In Manicaland Ambassador Mvundura is replacing Cde Madiro who was suspended on allegations of corruption and stocktheft. He (Ambassador Mvundura) is being deputised by Retired Lieutenant General Mike Nyambuya while in Bulawayo Cde Ndlovu took over from Cde Killian Sibanda who is now acting as deputy chairman.
Manicaland came under the spotlight after some of the senior members in the province wrote a petition to President Mugabe against Cde Mutasa. This prompted the party to send Cde Khaya Moyo’s probe team to investigate the allegations and present a report to President Mugabe and the Politburo for their consideration.
On Friday Zanu-PF Politburo adopted Cde Khaya Moyo’s report on the Manicaland issue.
The probe team continues with its work and last week it was in Harare and is expected to proceed to Masvingo until it finishes dealing all the provinces.
Online Reporter