Senior Zanu PF members hit brick wall in Bulawayo

A delegation led by the party's national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo, which included commissar Webster Shamu and secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, was in Bulawayo in a bid to quell the infighting in the province.

The visit followed violent clashes that led to the arrest of five party members on March 10.

The three held a series of crucial meetings that lasted close to 10 hours on Wednesday.

A provincial co-ordinating committee meeting was held yesterday after the stormy meetings on Wednesday.

Khaya Moyo, Mutasa, and Shamu first met politburo and central committee members and later held talks with the provincial executive council and the war veterans and ex-detainees led by Jabulani Sibanda.

Insiders said during the three meetings with central committee and politburo members, there were suggestions the entire province be dissolved.

"Some politburo members had drawn up a list of an interim provincial structure after their anticipated dissolution of the province, but that was never to be," a party insider said.

"The senior party officials were pushing that the interim executive be led by Calistus Ndlovu."

During the meetings, there were allegations that the party could have been swindled of $38 000 by some provincial members.

"The allegations of misappropriation of funds were raised in the meetings though the figure was not mentioned," the source said.

"An audit report was sent to Harare last Friday indicating that the party lost $38 000 to fraud.

"It was also discovered that the burning of the party offices last year could have been a plot to cover up the misappropriation of funds.

"There were allegations that Killian Sibanda was being sponsored by Mines and Mining Development minister Obert Mpofu, something that he denied."

According to insiders, the interim youth wing also accused Sibanda of not recognising it.

Addressing a Press conference after the PCC meeting yesterday, Khaya Moyo said they were happy with the feedback they had received from the meetings and were going back to Harare to compile a report to be presented before President Robert Mugabe and the politburo.

"Our mission to Bulawayo has been a tremendous success," he said. "We were a listening delegation and we listened to the views of all concerned and we are delighted that people spoke openly, frankly and no one showed any disrespect to anyone.

"The views expressed came from the leadership as to how we proceed to organise the party and ready ourselves for winning the coming harmonised elections.

"We were very impressed by the frankness of all those who spoke.

"We feel very proud of how things have gone in terms of our mission.

We are confident that the outcome of all these deliberations will strengthen the party and gear ourselves for a resounding winning of the coming elections. There is no doubt that Zanu PF will win the elections."

Trouble started when provincial secretary of transport and welfare Langelihle Mathe and that of finance Simon Khabo were suspended for alleged insubordination and fraud respectively.

The suspensions did not go down well with some senior party officials as well as members of the interim youth executive who also accused Sibanda of being biased towards sacked Bulawayo youth chairman Butholezwe Gatsi.

That discontent among the interim youth executive and some senior party leaders led to a resolution to pass a vote of no confidence against Sibanda at the provincial co-ordinating committee meeting on March 10.

However, the vote was not successful as violence erupted before the PCC was held.