Zanu-PF Bulawayo executive 'overturns' vote of no confidence

ZANU-PF Bulawayo province has been plunged into chaos after the Professor Callistus Ndlovu-led executive yesterday met and "overturned" a vote of no confidence passed on it on Sunday claiming that their political rivals used fake signatures to oust them.

The executive also a passed "a vote of no confidence" on party secretary for lands and resettlement Patson Parirenyatwa; deputy secretary for business development and liaison George Mlala as well as the deputy secretary for science and technology Nacisio Makhulumo for allegedly falsifying a petition purporting it was a resolution of the provincial executive.

Responding to yesterday's meeting, Mlala said Prof Ndlovu had no authority to call an executive meeting as he had been fired, adding that his actions were the last kicks of a dying horse.

He insisted that the vote of no confidence passed on the top six of the provincial executive stood.

"What I saw is that there are 27 people who signed the paper. They called districts, which have nothing to do with this thing. I heard that among them, were war collaborators led by Douglas Gangayidzo," said Mlala.

He said it was pathetic that despite being fired, Prof Ndlovu was relying on axed war veterans' leader Jabulani Sibanda's allies.

Makhulumo, who read the petition passing a vote of no confidence on Prof Ndlovu and five of his executive members, fired back saying yesterday's action was a nullity.

"How can people who have been voted out come and pass a vote of no confidence? Members of the province signed a vote of no confidence. There is no one who has been booted out who comes to office and tries to boot out people. They deliberately postponed yesterday's PCC meeting," Makhulumo.

Mlala was on Sunday appointed the provincial acting chairperson after 27 provincial members signed a petition firing the province's top six leaders on allegations of fanning factionalism, misappropriating party funds, sabotaging First Lady Grace Mugabe's rally that was held last month, among other things.

Prof Ndlovu yesterday accused Cdes Parirenyatwa, Mlala and Makhulumo of causing and sowing seeds of division within the party in general and Bulawayo province in particular as well as fraudulently signing the purported petition on the behalf of the province.

His group said their decisions were reached at an urgent Provincial Executive Council meeting which the secretary for indigenisation and economic empowerment Mlungisi Moyo, who read the resolutions, claimed was well constituted by 30 members out of 50 with five apologies.

Speaking at a Press conference at Davies Hall, Prof Ndlovu said the vote of no confidence on him and other provincial leaders was concocted using signatures of people who were not even consulted on the matter.

Prof Ndlovu said the ousted provincial leaders were not informed and the process was not transparent. "It has transpired that this vote of no confidence was no vote of no confidence at all because there was no such meeting of this body. In fact, this body had met on Saturday where they could have easily moved that vote of no confidence and they did not," said Prof Ndlovu.

"They decided to call a clandestine meeting at an unknown location where they were driving people in trying to coerce them to sign the so called petition. There are witnesses here who can indicate to you that they were actually taken to that location where they were surprised to hear that there was such a move to pass a vote of no confidence."

Prof Ndlovu said when some officials refused to sign the petition against the provincial leaders, the three decided to go ahead and write the names of the particular officials in their petition.

He said yesterday's meeting unanimously agreed to suspend Cdes Parirenyatwa, Mlala and Makhulumo and to express confidence in the top six executive members.

"Their so-called vote of no confidence is a nullity in terms of the constitution of Zanu-PF because they tried to bring in people who are not even in the structures of the party. Some of the people whose names are there are not even in the structures of the party," said Prof Ndlovu.

"We are aware that a lot of money is being thrown around by certain interested parties, I'm not going to mention their names but if you are interested you will find out yourselves who those individuals are who are paying for the dissolution of this province."

Prof Ndlovu said the people involved in their ouster bid include those who lost in the last provincial elections.

"They are trying to revive themselves by getting involved in political skullduggery and this skullduggery is so clear that you don't need to go very far to see where their source of support is coming from," he said.

Prof Ndlovu said his executive was loyal to President Mugabe and any claims to the contrary were not true.

"In fact, when the provincial coordinating committee endorsed the First Secretary to be sole candidate, it was through a committee that the chairman appointed," he said.

Prof Ndlovu denied that he declined to endorse President Mugabe and Central Committee member Godfrey Malaba who ended up reading the resolution endorsing the President did so as he had been appointed to head a committee on resolutions.

Prof Ndlovu said some of the allegations made in the petition, particularly those of misappropriation of funds, may result in legal action taken against certain individuals.