ZANU PF will hold its provincial elections in Bulawayo tomorrow amid serious divisions in the party over the revival of PF Zapu and the decision by most members of the current executive not to seek re-election. The party chairperson in the city, Macleod Tshawe, said he would not seek re-election when the polls take place at Zanu PF’s provincial headquarters.Tshawe’s pullout comes at a time when six members of his executive have left Zanu PF to join the revived PF Zapu. The six include secretary for information and publicity Effort Nkomo, secretary for administration Tryphine Nhliziyo and secretary for security Andrew Ndlovu.Sources in the party said members of the current executive opted out of the elections after a commission of inquiry set up by Zanu PF to investigate events leading to the revival of PF Zapu accused them of plotting to desert the party.Zanu PF national chairman John Nkomo this week did not disclose the full contents of the commission of inquiry report, but briefly said the probe revealed that the organisers of a recent PF Zapu meeting wanted to “embarrass” Vice-president Joseph Msika when they invited him address their indaba.“The commission of inquiry established that the entire executive was involved in setting up structures towards the revival of PF Zapu and the current members of the executive will therefore not stand in the elections,” one of the sources said. “There is a crisis in the party as most senior and experienced leaders have declined to contest for party positions.”Tshawe told the Zimbabwe Independent this week that he would not seek re-election because of family and business commitments.“I am not standing for re-election as the Zanu PF provincial chairperson because of pressing family and business commitments and I am happy to say I have contributed enough to Zanu PF since my election in 2004,” Tshawe said.He confirmed that his executive had called for meetings on the revival of PF Zapu to appraise Msika on the problems former cadres of the party were facing. Â Zanu PF national commissar Elliot Manyika said the polls would go ahead, but declined to shed light on political developments in the province.Party sources said politburo and central committee members from the province were working on a plan to stop war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda from becoming the chairperson of the province.“The crisis the central committee and politburo members face now is to come up with the right people who are respected in the province to take over the provincial leadership and they are struggling to find the people as everyone capable of leading is moving over to PF Zapu,” another source said. – Staff Writer.
