Zanu-PF to elect Central Committee members

Nqobile Tshili Bulawayo Bureau
ZANU-PF is set to hold Central Committee elections to elect new provincial leadership as the party realigns itself ahead of the Special Congress to be held in Harare next month. The party last month resolved to go for a special congress whose agenda is to affirm President Mugabe as Zanu-PF’s Presidential candidate for 2018 elections, to elevate a Women’s League member into the party’s and Government’s Presidium and coming up with an election strategy ahead of 2018 elections.

Zanu-PF’s national spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya-Moyo yesterday confirmed the Central Committee elections, which he said are a prerequisite before any Congress. “We always hold Central Committee elections before going for a Congress and provinces have already been informed about the elections. A circular has been sent to provinces by the Secretary of Legal Affairs Cde Patrick Chinamasa whose department handles the matter,” said Cde Khaya-Moyo.

He said the provinces who are not sure of what is expected of them should engage the party’s legal affairs or the commissariat departments. Matabeleland North’s provincial chairman Cde Richard Moyo said the province has started preparing for the Central Committee elections.

He said it’s up to the party’s members to elect new or retain the existing Central Committee members in their positions. “We’ve been informed that we should hold Central Committee elections as a requirement before we go for Congress. We have already informed the districts that they will have to elect new Central Committee members. It’s up to them to retain the existing Central Committee members or elect new ones,” said Cde Moyo.

He said national leadership is yet to provide them with details on when to hold the elections. The Central Committee is the second highest decision making body in Zanu-PF outside the Politburo.

Zanu-PF will hold its special Congress at Robert Mugabe Square in Harare starting on December 12 and ending on December 17. The Central Committee elections will come following a shake-up in Zanu-PF, which has seen former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa being fired from Government and the party. President Mugabe on Monday fired Mnangagwa from Government before all the 10 provinces endorsed his sacking from the party on Wednesday.

President Mugabe fired Mnangagwa from Government over charges including discharging his duties in a manner inconsistent with his official duties, disloyalty, disrespect, deceitfulness and unreliability and a lack of probity in the execution of his duties. On Wednesday, the Politburo sealed Mnangagwa’s fate as it fired him from Zanu-PF.