PF Zapu veterans in Zanu PF have threatened a showdown at the party’s
congress opening on Wednesday if President Robert Mugabe rejects their
choice for the party chairmanship.
Mugabe last week made a stunning summersault on the nomination of Zimbabwe’s
Ambassador to South Africa Simon Khaya Moyo by the majority of Zanu PF
provinces after his lieutenants challenged the selection process.
Zanu PF sources said Mugabe was pressured to take the position that might
threaten the very foundation of the troubled party after Defence Minister
Emmerson Mnangagwa made it clear that he would never consider Moyo as his
boss.
Current Zanu PF chairman Didymus Mutasa has also been protesting publicly
about the alleged flouting of procedures for the nomination, which he said
favoured PF Zapu people.
The latest developments mean Mutasa and Mnangagwa have been thrown a life
line to launch fresh bids for the chairmanship.
Speaking in Manicaland last week Mugabe said it was only the post of
Vice-President won by John Nkomo that had been settled.
His statements contradicted pronouncements by senior Zanu PF officials such
as Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, Angeline Masuku and Richard Ndlovu who have taken
issue with Mutasa for trying to seek nomination for a post they say must be
reserved for former PF Zapu members.
The say it is an unwritten rule from the 1987 Unity Accord that two posts in
the presidium should always be reserved for former PF Zapu.
“When we discussed the issue of candidates to fill in the post left vacant
by the late Cde (Joseph) Msika we urged the Matabeleland region to hold
consultations and nominate a candidate who would be presented to the
provinces,” Mugabe was quoted as saying by the state media.
“This was duly done with the nomination of Cde Nkomo as Vice-President of
the party.
“We however did not put up the chairmanship for discussion and we were even
surprised to read through the media of Cde Khaya Moyo’s nomination as
national chairman.
“We are surprised that some people rushed to make announcements in the
media.”
Moyo was chosen by a caucus of former PF Zapu leaders who met before the
nominations that had a record number of contestants.
Mugabe said Manicaland was free to lobby for its candidate ahead of the
congress, in what was seen as an open endorsement of Mutasa.
However, several Zanu PF officials who spoke to The Standard yesterday said
they were waiting for Mugabe to repeat his statements at a politburo meeting
scheduled for tomorrow.
The matter was deferred from last week’s politburo meeting because Richard
Ndlovu, the deputy commissar was in Namibia.
“We are waiting for Monday,” said a politburo member. “Mugabe is playing
with fire. he can only go ahead with the decision to block Moyo if he is no
longer interested in the Unity Accord.
“I don’t see the matter being resolved at the politburo meeting and we are
sharpening our knives for the congress because it appears they want to call
for nominations from the floor, something which is unprecedented.
“Just call me after the politburo meeting on Monday and you will get the
best story ever written about Zanu PF.”
The official said Mnangagwa was now the favourite to land the chairmanship,
which might come as a consolation after his faction was trounced by the
rival Mujuru faction during the nominations.
“If they say Moyo was not nominated procedurally then we will have to
mobilize Matabeleland provinces to revise their endorsement of Mugabe for
the presidency,” said another official.
Mugabe was nominated by all the other provinces unopposed while his deputy
Joice Mujuru was initially rejected by Masvingo province, which chose Women’s
League boss, Opphah Muchinguri.
However, Masvingo was forced to reverse the nomination after Mujuru won in
other provinces.
There are reports Muchinguri has not abandoned her bid and might surprise
Mujuru at the congress by seeking nominations from the floor.
Zanu PF is already weakened in Matabeleland after former politburo member
Dumiso Dabengwa led several senior party members to revive Zapu.
BY KHOLWANI NYATHI The Standard
Who told you guys that Mutasa was the current ZANU PF chairman?
Maybe ZAPU got tired of playing second all the time. The MDC came in yesterday and they got a chunk of the ministries while zapu shares the only one they got.
Maybe ZANU needs to understand that zapu is not zanu even though they are in Zanu pf. Or maybe zapu needs to stand up and be counted. We need as much opposition in Zimbabwe as we can. If we have 3 to 5 different parties in Parliament that can help eliminate violence ad also corruption in government.
thats agood point baba tee.
That threat will be here on websites not on the ground my chiefs. Zapu hailume. they are there to eat part of the carcass and will not survive if they try any of these tricks. The door to Zapu(Dabengwa) is wide open but you are not using it,why?
Zapu like MDC is only there to prop up Zanoids.Zanoids dectate the pace and direction to be followed,whilst the other two parties salute and obey.
It is a shameful and barbaric Zanu PF mentality to think of “threat” in terms of what one is capable of doing to the other violently. It’s shocking what Zanu PF can do to people’s thinking. You are right Baba Tee, different political parties are a healthy index for political tolerance
Baba Tee l dont agree with your view. l think from the word “Go” ZAPU is a tribalistic party it should revise or broaden its structures.l am also sorry to say this but you should agree with me because we have different views. If ZAPU cant broaden its structures then it should die a natural death like ZANU Ndonga because tribalistic parties are a threat to national security. We don’t want civil war in our country.l dont support ZANU PF and l shoud not hide the fact that as of now MDC T is the only hope we have for the country to be back on the right tract but we should be careful with Tsvangirai l don’t trust his ties with the West,his policy on Gays is not clear we have no place for that barbaric behaviour in our country .God bless Zimbabwe!
zi Maluzha.
They wont win enough seats to rule but certainly variety will do zimbabwe good. It is proven to curb corruption. they can have a number of seats ku matebeleland, thats does not mean they will rule. We need as much parties as we can in parliament so that only Zimbabwe can benefit not political parties like what happening now.
Zapu is full of hate after gukurahundi that much i know. But if they get 20 to 30 seats that would do zimabwe good.
Baba Tee
Haha, l agree with you, what you are saying is making sense. Anywhere, ZAPU should spread its leadership to other provinces if it want to survive.Thanks, for your contribution.God bless Zimbabwe!