Jabulani Sibanda, Didymus Mutasa re-admitted into Zanu-PF

Zanu-PF has readmitted its former secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and former chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association Jabulani Sibanda following the duo's successful application. Also readmitted in the ruling party is Chenjerai Kangausaru who was staying in South Africa for some time.

The party is still processing applications for a number of expelled members including Retired Brigadier Ambrose Mutinhiri, Kudzanai Chipanga and Innocent Hamandishe and a determination will be announced in due course. Mr Tapiwa Matangaidze's application was rejected after he stood as an independent candidate in the last general elections when he lost in primaries.

The party said by contesting as an independent candidate, Mr Matangaidze automatically expelled himself from the party. This came out of the 321st ordinary session of the ruling party's Politburo meeting held in Harare yesterday.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Simon Khaya Moyo said: "The Secretary of Legal Affairs Paul Mangwana gave also a report on disciplinary cases. After some discussions, and feedback from affected provinces, the following were readmitted to the party - Jabulani Sibanda, Didymus Mutasa, Chenjerai Kangausaru. I think he (Kangausaru) has been staying in South Africa for quite some time. These three have been readmitted into the party. They are many others from party cadres who have applied for readmission and their matters of course following the due process are subject to the provinces they come from before the national disciplinary committee which will ultimately take recommendations to the Politburo about their fate."

"These also include Retired Brigadier General Ambrose Mutinhiri who took all effort to see the His Excellency the President and convey a message that he has disbanded his party the National Patriotic Front and that he was now ready to come back to the party. His case as I said, falls under those cases which have been referred back to the provinces for comment and once we get a feedback, necessary decisions will be taken. Besides Ambrose Mutinhiri, we also have Kudzanai Chipanga who has also applied for readmission, Anastancia Ndlovu and Innocent Hamandishe. Their matters are being processed and we shall brief you accordingly in the near future."

He explained Matangaidze's fate. "The readmission of Tapiwa Matangaidze has been rejected since he stood as an independent in the last harmonised elections. By standing as an independent after losing the primaries, he has automatically expelled himself from the party."

To ensure that the party had supremacy over the Government, the party yesterday added the number of senior people working full time as heads of departments.

"As the party reconfigures itself and moves towards exerting its supremacy over Government, the President and the Politburo continued to establish full time heads of departments at the party headquarters," said Khaya Moyo.

"The departments which have been added to the already existing which are run full time will be the department of health, the department of labour and production and the department of indigenisation and economic empowerment. As I speak, the heads of these departments have been advised and the head of the health department Cleveria Chizema and David Parirenyatwa will take care of health issues and the head of labour and production Josiah Hungwe will also be full time, so will be the head of indigenisation and economic empowerment, Mike Bimha.

"And of course, since the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing (July Moyo) is full in Government, somebody has been assigned to oversee the activities of that department on a full time basis and this a committee member of the Politburo who will be assisting July Moyo in that department and that is Edna Madzongwe. So we have that development and the whole effort is to ensure that the party exerts itself in terms of its supremacy over Government. Government is a product of the party. It must be understood in that context that policies must derive from the party and Government must implement such policies as enshrined in this case in our Manifesto which made us win the 2018 harmonised elections. We shall make sure that the two work harmoniously, that is the party and the Government so that all our policies are implemented without hindrance."

Khaya Moyo said various secretaries presented their reports on diverse issues. He said Secretary for Administration, Obert Mpofu, presented a report on departmental operations and adherence to the party constitution while national commissar, Engelbert Rugeje, presented his report that touched on the recently held provincial inter-inter-district conferences and the Mutoko North by-election. The Mutoko North seat fell vacant following the elevation of Marble Chinomona to the position of Senate president.

"The secretary for external affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi gave external relations report and the party's future activities in this regard. In other words, the party will be visiting a number of sister parties to compare notes as how their parties relate to Government. There are a number of these and these include of course, ANC of South Africa, CPC of China, MPLA of Angola, Frelimo of Mozambique, SWAPO of Namibia. There are quite a number of them across the globe who are fraternal parties and we want to learn from them on how they are functioning," said Khaya Moyo.

Khaya Moyo said he presented a report on behalf of the party's national chairman, Oppah Muchinguri, focusing on the regalia distributed post July 30 harmonised elections.