News / National
Zanu-PF announces new rules
12 Jul 2014 at 07:19hrs | Views
ZANU PF yesterday announced a raft of election rules and regulations that will see members who have not served for 15 consecutive years barred from contesting central committee and women's league positions ahead of the December elective congress.
The new rules announced by party legal affairs secretary and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa at Zanu PF headquarters effectively bar newcomers and Young Turks aspiring to rise within party structures ahead of the congress.
The new rules were announced ahead of the party's youth and women's league congresses to be held in Harare from August 7 to 10 and from August 20 to 23 respectively.
Mnangagwa said Zanu PF officials aspiring to get into the party's Central Committee and women's league were now required to have served in the party structures for a consecutive 15-year period.
Of the 15 years, five years should have been spent serving in the party's provincial executive.
The new rules leave several Zanu PF officials and most sitting MPs in a quandary as some of them do not meet the requirements. Media, Information and
Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo was admitted back into the politburo before he completed his five-year ban.
Makonde MP Kindness Paradza was readmitted into the party in 2012 after he stood for Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) in the 2008 general elections.
Another ex-MKD candidate for Marondera East constituency, Isaac Gadzikwa was also readmitted.
Some party members alleged the rules had been crafted to entrench factionalism as they would rule out other aspiring contestants along factional lines.
Zanu PF is currently locked in serious internal fights as factions reportedly led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Mnangagwa jostle for positions in the race to succeed the 90-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
Both Mujuru and Mnangagwa have repeatedly denied leading factions and harbouring presidential ambitions.
Initially, the national election directorate had proposed a 20-year cap for anyone gunning for national executive positions.
But the politburo on Wednesday made a slight climbdown and reduced the number of years to 15.
Before the rules were announced by Mnangagwa, Zanu PF national chairman and head of the party's national election directorate Simon Khaya Moyo said the rules, drafted two weeks ago, were approved by the party's politburo on Wednesday.
Khaya Moyo said the rules were not a subject for discussion as the "party had taken its position".
According to the rules announced by Mnangagwa, candidates aspiring to stand election into the Central Committee must have served in the party for a period of 15 consecutive years, five of which must have been served at provincial executive member level.
Members must not have been subject to criminal conviction or insolvency and neither should they have been found guilty and convicted by the party's disciplinary proceedings during the past five years.
"Current members of the Central Committee, Women's League national executive, National Consultative Assembly and those who are graduating from the national executive of the youth league are eligible if they are not affected by the above stated criteria," Mnangagwa said.
The conditions are the same for the Women's League, while youths who want to get into the national youth's league would need to be 35 years and below.
They should also have served in the national executive of the youth league and five years in the provincial executive.
For all the categories, members who wish to take up national executive positions would be required to relinquish their positions at provincial level "upon election".
The youth congress will be held under the theme "ZimAsset, growing the theme economy for youth empowerment and employment," while the women's conference would be held under the theme "ZimAsset, leading women to empowerment and employment," Khaya Moyo said.
He said about 4 000 delegates were expected at each of the two congresses.
Most youth leaders had only spent six months in the provincial structures before they were voted into the national organ.
Sources said Midlands' Edison Chakanyuka, Manicaland's Kudzi Chipanga, Mike Gava (Mashonaland West), John Mushayi (Mashonaland East) and Obert Mutasa (Mashonaland Central) were reportedly in support of the move to exclude potential competition.
Before the new guidelines, Chakanyuka was set to face stiff competition from Wadyajena.
The new rules announced by party legal affairs secretary and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa at Zanu PF headquarters effectively bar newcomers and Young Turks aspiring to rise within party structures ahead of the congress.
The new rules were announced ahead of the party's youth and women's league congresses to be held in Harare from August 7 to 10 and from August 20 to 23 respectively.
Mnangagwa said Zanu PF officials aspiring to get into the party's Central Committee and women's league were now required to have served in the party structures for a consecutive 15-year period.
Of the 15 years, five years should have been spent serving in the party's provincial executive.
The new rules leave several Zanu PF officials and most sitting MPs in a quandary as some of them do not meet the requirements. Media, Information and
Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo was admitted back into the politburo before he completed his five-year ban.
Makonde MP Kindness Paradza was readmitted into the party in 2012 after he stood for Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) in the 2008 general elections.
Another ex-MKD candidate for Marondera East constituency, Isaac Gadzikwa was also readmitted.
Some party members alleged the rules had been crafted to entrench factionalism as they would rule out other aspiring contestants along factional lines.
Zanu PF is currently locked in serious internal fights as factions reportedly led by Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Mnangagwa jostle for positions in the race to succeed the 90-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
Both Mujuru and Mnangagwa have repeatedly denied leading factions and harbouring presidential ambitions.
Initially, the national election directorate had proposed a 20-year cap for anyone gunning for national executive positions.
But the politburo on Wednesday made a slight climbdown and reduced the number of years to 15.
Before the rules were announced by Mnangagwa, Zanu PF national chairman and head of the party's national election directorate Simon Khaya Moyo said the rules, drafted two weeks ago, were approved by the party's politburo on Wednesday.
Khaya Moyo said the rules were not a subject for discussion as the "party had taken its position".
According to the rules announced by Mnangagwa, candidates aspiring to stand election into the Central Committee must have served in the party for a period of 15 consecutive years, five of which must have been served at provincial executive member level.
Members must not have been subject to criminal conviction or insolvency and neither should they have been found guilty and convicted by the party's disciplinary proceedings during the past five years.
"Current members of the Central Committee, Women's League national executive, National Consultative Assembly and those who are graduating from the national executive of the youth league are eligible if they are not affected by the above stated criteria," Mnangagwa said.
The conditions are the same for the Women's League, while youths who want to get into the national youth's league would need to be 35 years and below.
They should also have served in the national executive of the youth league and five years in the provincial executive.
For all the categories, members who wish to take up national executive positions would be required to relinquish their positions at provincial level "upon election".
The youth congress will be held under the theme "ZimAsset, growing the theme economy for youth empowerment and employment," while the women's conference would be held under the theme "ZimAsset, leading women to empowerment and employment," Khaya Moyo said.
He said about 4 000 delegates were expected at each of the two congresses.
Most youth leaders had only spent six months in the provincial structures before they were voted into the national organ.
Sources said Midlands' Edison Chakanyuka, Manicaland's Kudzi Chipanga, Mike Gava (Mashonaland West), John Mushayi (Mashonaland East) and Obert Mutasa (Mashonaland Central) were reportedly in support of the move to exclude potential competition.
Before the new guidelines, Chakanyuka was set to face stiff competition from Wadyajena.
Source - NewsDay
