ZANU PF politburo and central committee members have ordered the Bulawayo provincial leadership to stop suspending officials in what party insiders said was a bid to try and fight factionalism in the party.
According to Zanu PF officials, the party’s leadership told Bulawayo bigwigs to build bridges and desist from suspending fellow members due to infighting. The order was given during the just-ended party’s 11th annual people’s conference in Mutare.Sources said they expected provincial executive members who were suspended earlier this year to be reinstated soon.The suspended members are the provincial treasurer Simon Khabo, his deputy Kenias Sibanda, secretary for security Robert Ncube and deputy secretary for indigenisation George Mlala. Provincial youth league secretary Bernard Nhata was also suspended three months ago under unclear circumstances. “Since we came from the conference this week, the instruction from the leadership hasn’t been implemented, but we expect those who were suspended to bounce back,” said the source.The politburo members, added the source, also instructed the Isaac Dakamela-led executive to suspend its decision to sack over 70 officials who were accused of boycotting “crucial party meetings and events”.In October the Zanu PF Bulawayo executive resolved to fire officials who were accused of failing to participate in party programmes. The province has always been rocked by serious divisions since the inception of MDC in 1999 which since then has won elections in the region over the years.The revival of Zapu worsened Zanu PF’s troubles with former provincial executives defecting to the Dumiso Dabengwa-led party. The Dakamela executive came into office in 2008 but it has been dogged by factionalism and alleged corruption.Sources who attended the Mutare conference said a list of central committee members which was drawn up by former Information and Publicity minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and politburo member Eunice Sandi-Moyo was rejected. The conference instead co-opted Abednico Nyathi, Dennis Ndlovu, Elphus Tshuma, Nelly Dupute, Violet Ncube and Raphael Baleni onto the central committee while Emmanuel Kanjoma, Anna Ngwabi, Themba Ncube, Yona Mpofu and Jevan Maseko were barred from being elevated.“The new central committee members were blessed by Mugabe in Mutare and those who were chosen by Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and Sandi were thrown off the list of central committee members,” said the source.Ndlovu was a month ago sacked as the party’s coordinator and was replaced by central committee member Calistus Ndlovu. The source, however, said the fierce infighting in Bulawayo was not extensively discussed at the conference.“We expect the warring factions to continue fighting because the issue was not addressed in Mutare. We thought Mugabe would tell the factions to explain what has been happening, but nothing happened,” said the Zanu PF official.
Brian Chitemba
