Msika succession meetings aborted last minute

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

By GETRUDE GUMEDE

Published: October 9, 2009

ZIMBABWE – BULAWAYO – The Zanu-PF leadership from Matabeleland region has resolved to refer back to the Politburo, the issue of nominating candidates for the vice-presidency, a senior party official said on Friday.

Speaking after a closed meeting at the party’s Bulawayo provincial headquarters at Davies Hall in the city, Zanu-PF acting national secretary for the Commissariat, Richard Ndlovu said the decision was made because PF-Zapu was a national party before it signed the Unity Accord with Zanu-PF in December 1987. As such the nomination of candidates to fill the vacancy left after the death of Vice-President Joseph Msika, must be done by the party’s 10 provinces.

The meeting in Bulawayo was convened after Provincial Co-Ordinating Committee meetings called in Lupane for Matabeleland North and Gwanda for Matabeleland South ended prematurely.

This was after some members felt the issue to nominate the Vice-President could not be restricted to the Matabeleland region as PF-Zapu was a national party.

Soon after the leaders drove from Lupane and Gwanda to Bulawayo to meet as a region.

“We met as the Zanu-PF leadership from Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South to consult over the congress and leadership positions that will arise,” said Ndlovu.

“The major issue of Vice-President has been referred back to the Politburo for further review. PF-Zapu was not a regional but national party. So we expect the Vice-President to be elected by the 10 provinces as the Unity Accord says. We do not want to regionalise PF-Zapu.”

The meeting at Davies Hall was attended by Politburo and Central Committee members from the three provinces.

At its meeting in Harare last week, the Politburo gave the three Matabeleland provinces up to October 14 to nominate potential candidates to fill the vacant post of Vice President and Second Secretary of Zanu-PF.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa said this week said the selection process by the three provinces would guide the party in choosing the next Vice President to replace Msika, who died in August.

He said after the selection by the provinces, a candidate would then be nominated in terms of the Constitution.

The Unity Accord says one of the two Vice-Presidents must be reserved for the former PF-Zapu.

Zanu-PF’s Bulawayo Province met on Sunday and endorsed the party’s national chairman, Cde John Landa Nkomo as its candidate as he had a national outlook and was the nearest person in terms of seniority to Msika.

Zanu-PF is scheduled to hold its national congress in December at which the party would elect its leadership for the next five years, including filling the post of Vice-President and Second Secretary left vacant by Msika’s death.

Cde Ndlovu said the party leadership from the three Matabeleland provinces expected the Politburo to appreciate their resolution.

He said the meeting was well attended with most senior party members present.

Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, Sithokozile Mathuthu, Naison Ndlovu, Kembo Mohadi, Angeline Masuku, Eunice Sandi-Moyo, Joshua Malinga, Simon Khaya Moyo, Sithembiso Nyoni, Cain Mathema and the party’s provincial chairman for Bulawayo, Isaac Dakamela, among other senior party officials attended the meeting.

In Matabeleland North the Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meeting held at Lupane Community Hall had ended prematurely when delegates differed on the agenda of the meeting.

In his opening remarks, the provincial secretary for administration, Clifford Sibanda who is also the Member of the House of Assembly for Bubi read out the agenda of the meeting, which did not include the issue of the selection of a name(s) for the Vice-President and second Secretary of Zanu PF.

This did not go down with some members who included Obert Mpofu, who is the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.

Mpofu pointed out that the meeting was expected to discuss the issue of the appointment of the VP.

He alleged that certain people who had a hidden agenda had deliberately held a circular sent out on 2 October by the Secretary of Administration, Didymus Mutasa.

At that point the Governor and Resident Minister for Matabeleland North, Mathuthu interjected and asked the delegates to be serious and discuss issues listed in the agenda “because some of us have other things to do”.

This sparked chaos at the venue of the meeting with delegates shouting on top of their voices and some breaking into revolutionary songs.

This forced the provincial executive to ask the delegates to show by raising their hands if they wanted the meeting to end or continue.

The delegates seemed divided on the issue. Someone then made a prayer and the delegates broke up and started heading in different directions.

Earlier, Cde Zenzo Ncube had announced that the meeting had to move with speed as Members of the Central Committee were expected to meet in Bulawayo at 2pm.

Mpofu, who is Member of the House of Assembly for Umguza expressed surprise at the news and the Resident Minister for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Cain Mathema did not seem to have information about the said Central Committee meeting scheduled for Davies Hall in Bulawayo.

There was a heavy police presence at the venue of the meeting with some of the officers armed with tear gas canisters in anticipation of clashes.

They closely monitored the situation from a distance as the delegates dispersed from the venue with Members of the Central Committee heading for Bulawayo.

In Matabeleland South the Provincial Co-ordinating Committee members met for only 10 minutes in a closed session.

Then the provincial chairman, Andrew Langa emerged to announce that the nomination process had been cancelled.

He said Cde Richard Ndlovu had instructed the province not to carry out the election.
“The delegates were ready to choose a candidate of their choice but as chairman, I will not carry out the procedure until I am advised to do so,” Langa said.

Early this week, Cde Langa said three senior party officials from his province whom he did not name, were interested in the post.

Masuku, from Bulawayo province and reportedly in the running for the post was quoted yesterday saying she was too junior to take up the post of Vice-President and endorsed Nkomo.

Meanwhile, Langa said Matabeleland South province would go ahead with other planned programmes, which include outreach events in Matobo this weekend, Umzingwane, Bulilima and Mangwe next week.

“The purpose of the events is to let people know where we as party with regards to the preparations for the constitution, verifying our structures and preparations for the National Congress,” Langa said.-The Zimbabwe Telegraph