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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THERE were protests at Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial offices yesterday following the disqualification of an aspiring MP ahead of today’s party primary polls for Nkulumane constituency.
Zanu-PF national commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday confirmed the holding of the primary poll to fill the seat left vacant following the death of MDC-T MP Thamsanqa Mahlangu last month. The Nomination Court will sit on November 6 for the December 19 by election.
Cde Kasukuwere said two candidates Cde Killion Sibanda and Alderman David Ndlovu will participate in the primary polls.
“I can confirm that there will be a primary election tomorrow (today) for Nkulumane constituency,” he said.
Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chairman Cde Dennis Ndlovu said an aspiring candidate Cde Francis Hungwe had failed to make the grade.
“We’ve nominated Cde Killion Sibanda and Alderman David Ndlovu who are both Central Committee members,” said Cde Ndlovu.
“We’ve a process, we’ve a procedure that we have to follow. We’ve a standard which a person needs to meet to represent us. We can’t just select a member because they showed interest in representing the party. If we have a member more capable than yourself we will choose them.”
Ndlovu said although Cde Hungwe might have organised a demonstration, he is yet to meet him to get clarification on the processes that led to his disqualification.
He said there was nothing wrong with members demonstrating against the party as long as they were expressing their views.
“It wasn’t a demonstration. I spoke to the people, they had their own placards and that is allowed in the party. There’s something which they didn’t like and wanted addressed,” he said.
Cde Hungwe said the process was not fair.
“The grounds of adjudication and election of candidates are not clear. The benchmarks for adjudication before submission of curriculum vitaes are not made public. At the end of the day people who should have a say on who should represent them are left out. For now let me end here,” he said.
Part of the demonstrators were allegedly drunk and hurled obscenities at the party leadership.
“They were drunk and were uttering unspeakable words against the party’s leadership. It was terrible. The party has managed to stay intact because of discipline and that’s not what I saw today,” said Cde Mitsho Ndlovu, a war veteran who was at the provincial offices.
Anti-riot police had to be called to maintain order.
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