We are being shut out - claims Matabele leaders in Zanu-PF

A senior Zanu-PF official in Bulawayo has unknowingly revealed to a Bulawayo24 source that members of Zanu-PF from Matabeleland more so the ex PF Zapu ones have been ordered to shut up and stay away from the ruling party Presidency succession battle.

The former parliamentarian and current member of the ruling party's Central Committee was speaking in an informal discussion to a group of "friends" at a hotel in Bulawayo on Saturday afternoon unaware of the presence of the Bulawayo24 source. Trying to explain why he was not at the National Heroes Acre for the burial of Nathan Shamuyarira, the veteran politician said that he can not be part of a group that is seeking to eliminate them from the party.

According to him the Matabeleland grouping of Zanu-PF leadership has been openly told by the "original" ZANU members to "keep quiet and stay away from the succession issues as it has nothing to do with them." The veteran politician reiterated previous sentiments echoed in some media that members of the original Zanu have openly told the ex PF Zapu members that their days of preferential treatment in the party are numbered up to the departure of President Mugabe from the party.

According to the politician, the on going bashing of Professor Jonathan Moyo is part of the deal to silence the Matabeleland leadership imposed on President Mugabe by some senior leaders in the party. The member further claims that even the Matabeleland Zanu-PF parliamentarians in both houses have been ordered not to contribute anything in the parliamentary debates but bring anything they want to say to party Chief Whip who will scrutinise them and deliver them or not deliver them to parliament.

"This is why you don't hear anything from Matabeleland MPs in Parliament they have been told to shut up and even reminded that they don't know how they won elections into parliament and so can not say anything," he said.

The senior Zanu-PF leader could however not be drawn to divulge more information especially pertaining to what their grouping is planning to do in the wake of the alienation that they are faced with. Dumiso Dabengwa pulled out of Zanu-PF to "revive" the former Zapu expressing similar concerns as his reasons for quitting.

This is however not the first time in recent days that the imminent collapse of the unity agreement between Zanu and PF Zapu into Zanu-PF has been mentioned in public foras and media. The feud between ex PF Zapu members and their Zanu counterparts has been about PF Zapu members being granted special treatment to positions especially the position of National Chairman of the party. The position has somewhat always been held preferential by former PF Zapu members since the unity accord even though there has never been an agreement that the position should be left for the ex PF Zapu members.

In trying to clarify the issue, Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo told a media house recently that the door was open for anyone to challenge for the national chairperson's position as there was never any agreement that the chair should be reserved for former PF Zapu members.

"There was never any gentleman's agreement that the post should go to former Zapu members, but it just so happened that it kept going to (former) Zapu people. The only consensus was on the question of the second vice-presidency".

However, ex-Zapu members claim that although the agreement was not written in black and white, there was an agreement on the need to balance power.

"That is the reason why there was balance in the top four after the Unity Accord. We had (President Robert) Mugabe as president, (Joshua) Nkomo and (Simon) Muzenda as the co vice - presidents and (Joseph) Msika as the national chairman. That has been the case since then although time and again our Zanu colleagues have attempted to snatch the post saying it was not reserved," a senior politburo member from Zapu once said in the media.

"They are up to their usual tricks again, which is unfortunate, but we will fight. We will obviously not take it lying down because we believe that position is ours. After Msika, John Nkomo held the position and after him it was held by SK (Simon Khaya Moyo) who is likely to be elevated to the vice-presidency. If that happens, we expect one of us to take the national chair's position to maintain that balance, unless someone is saying we are less equal in the set up."

Meanwhile the original Zanu members are reportedly telling their ex Zapu counterparts that after President Mugabe retires there won't be anymore preferential seconding of people to leadership positions and everyone will have to battle for positions on an equal footing including even the Second Vice President position. One Zanu member was once quoted in the media saying that the EX Zapu members must "just shut up" on who will take over from President Mugabe as they are visitors in Zanu-PF.

"The ex Zapu members need to be reminded that they are visitors into Zanu-PF, they were invited into the party and so can never be expected to be consulted, considered or involved in who will succeed President Mugabe, theirs is to decide who succeeds their second vice president which we have never interfered and so the same goes with them on who should take over presidency," said the Zanu-PF heavy weight in a press interview.

Zanu-PF is scheduled to hold a crack elective congress in December which will decide the future of the party. Some press reports claim that President Mugabe is contemplating cancelling the congress until next year after he has retired from the party in August 2015 at the end of his SADC troika chairmanship. However some sources claim that some high ranking officials and army generals in the party insist on President Mugabe retiring at the December Congress and announce his successor.