News / National
'Khaya Moyo should be VP,' says Msipa
23 Jul 2014 at 09:13hrs | Views
Former-PF-Zapu secretary-general Cephas Msipa on Tuesday said his colleagues unanimously agreed in September last year that Simon Khaya Moyo should be elevated to the post of vice president, but disclosed that there was no clause in the 1987 agreement that reserved the position of national chairperson for-PF-Zapu.
However, he added that it was also resolved last year to request that the precedent where the national chairperson has been a -PF-Zapu member be maintained.
"You see, in the negotiations for the merger of-PF-Zapu and Zanu-PF, I was involved," said Msipa, who is a Zanu-PF politburo member and former Midlands governor, in an interview by telephone yesterday.
"The question arose what would be the-PF-Zapu president (Dr) Joshua Nkomo's role if we came together. I asked Reverend Canaan Banana (who was the mediator) what were Zanu-PF's pre-conditions for the merger of the two parties and he stated three things.
"The first was that Comrade Robert Gabriel Mugabe would be the president of the new party. The second was that the name Zanu-PF would be retained and the third was that there would be two vice presidents, not first vice president and second vice-president, but two vice presidents with equal status, one from-PF-Zapu and the other from-PF-Zapu."
He said Nkomo had misgivings about the issue of two vice presidents, but relented.
"Nkomo said he was bringing a whole party into the agreement and so what was Simon Muzenda, who was the vice president of Zanu-PF bringing," said Msipa.
"But we said maybe they didn't want to make Muzenda to fill (that) he has lost. So it was a win-win situation. There was no discussion on any other position, including that of national chairperson. But then when Dr Joshua Nkomo became vice president and Muzenda also vice president, Cde Joseph Msika who was-PF-Zapu vice president, became the new party's national chairperson.
"When Msika was elevated to vice president following the death of Dr Nkomo, John Nkomo, a former-PF-Zapu member, was elevated to the position of national chairperson. Again, when Msika passed away, John Nkomo was elevated to vice president and Simon Khaya Moyo, a former-PF-Zapu member, became national chairperson."
He said following the death of John Nkomo last year, senior former-PF Zapu members met in Gweru on September 22 to discuss the vacant position of vice president.
"I had hoped to get a consensus by calling individuals, but it was suggested that I convene a meeting in Gweru instead," said Msipa.
"This is the meeting that I chaired and it was unanimously agreed that Simon Khaya Moyo should be elevated to vice president and that a request to our colleagues on the other side in the party be made for the precedence of having the National chairperson's post for a former-PF-Zapu member be maintained.
"It was also agreed that I and Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu communicate the two positions to vice president Mujuru. I sent the message to the vice president, early this year. So former-PF-Zapu members should be waiting to hear the response, not be fighting against each other."
On Saturday, a Zanu-PF politburo member and Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Abednico Ncube, stirred the hornet's nest when he said Matabeleland South was backing Simon Khaya Moyo for the vice president position.
This prompted two Politburo members – whom sources said attended last year's former-PF-Zapu meeting in Gweru, which recommended Simon Khaya Moyo for the VP position – Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu and Richard Ndlovu, both from Matabeleland South, to counsel against making pronouncements on the issue before the party had looked into it.
Former Zipra commanders, Phekezela Mphoko, who is former Zimbabwean ambassador to South Africa and Retired Brigadier-General Ambrose Mutinhiri, are said to be eyeing the VP post.
However, a source close to the matter told The Zimbabwe Mail at the weekend that Mutinhiri was part of the Gweru meeting that "unanimously endorsed" Simon Khaya Moyo for the vice president position.
"Mutinhiri was part of that meeting and it boggles the mind how he wants to challenge Moyo when he recommended him," said the source.
"I can understand why Mphoko, as a former Zipra commander who has been out of the country as a diplomat, wants a bite of the cherry, and not Mutinhiri. Ask Msipa and he will tell you that Mutinhiri was in that meeting."
However, Msipa declined to reveal the identities of the former senior-PF Zapu members who attended the Gweru meeting.
But sources yesterday gave the following as the names of politburo members who were part of the meeting: Cephas Msipa (In chair), Tshinga Dube, Kembo Mohadi, Angeline Masuku, Absolom Sikhosana, Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and Richard Ndlovu.
The source gave the following as the central committee members who were part of the meeting: Ambrose Mutinhiri, Khotsho Dube, Jane Ngwenya, Fidelis Maphosa, Elphas Tshuma, Molley Mpofu, Esnath Moyo, Oppah Ncube, Judith Ncube, Violet Ncube, David Ndlovu and Dennis Ndlovu.
In a recent interview in Lupane on the sidelines of a meeting where he addressed youths, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, told The Zimbabwe Mail the position of national chairperson was not restricted to former-PF Zapu members as
it was covered by the Unity Accord.
In December Zanu-PF is scheduled to hold its congress.
However, he added that it was also resolved last year to request that the precedent where the national chairperson has been a -PF-Zapu member be maintained.
"You see, in the negotiations for the merger of-PF-Zapu and Zanu-PF, I was involved," said Msipa, who is a Zanu-PF politburo member and former Midlands governor, in an interview by telephone yesterday.
"The question arose what would be the-PF-Zapu president (Dr) Joshua Nkomo's role if we came together. I asked Reverend Canaan Banana (who was the mediator) what were Zanu-PF's pre-conditions for the merger of the two parties and he stated three things.
"The first was that Comrade Robert Gabriel Mugabe would be the president of the new party. The second was that the name Zanu-PF would be retained and the third was that there would be two vice presidents, not first vice president and second vice-president, but two vice presidents with equal status, one from-PF-Zapu and the other from-PF-Zapu."
He said Nkomo had misgivings about the issue of two vice presidents, but relented.
"Nkomo said he was bringing a whole party into the agreement and so what was Simon Muzenda, who was the vice president of Zanu-PF bringing," said Msipa.
"But we said maybe they didn't want to make Muzenda to fill (that) he has lost. So it was a win-win situation. There was no discussion on any other position, including that of national chairperson. But then when Dr Joshua Nkomo became vice president and Muzenda also vice president, Cde Joseph Msika who was-PF-Zapu vice president, became the new party's national chairperson.
"When Msika was elevated to vice president following the death of Dr Nkomo, John Nkomo, a former-PF-Zapu member, was elevated to the position of national chairperson. Again, when Msika passed away, John Nkomo was elevated to vice president and Simon Khaya Moyo, a former-PF-Zapu member, became national chairperson."
He said following the death of John Nkomo last year, senior former-PF Zapu members met in Gweru on September 22 to discuss the vacant position of vice president.
"I had hoped to get a consensus by calling individuals, but it was suggested that I convene a meeting in Gweru instead," said Msipa.
"This is the meeting that I chaired and it was unanimously agreed that Simon Khaya Moyo should be elevated to vice president and that a request to our colleagues on the other side in the party be made for the precedence of having the National chairperson's post for a former-PF-Zapu member be maintained.
"It was also agreed that I and Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu communicate the two positions to vice president Mujuru. I sent the message to the vice president, early this year. So former-PF-Zapu members should be waiting to hear the response, not be fighting against each other."
On Saturday, a Zanu-PF politburo member and Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Abednico Ncube, stirred the hornet's nest when he said Matabeleland South was backing Simon Khaya Moyo for the vice president position.
This prompted two Politburo members – whom sources said attended last year's former-PF-Zapu meeting in Gweru, which recommended Simon Khaya Moyo for the VP position – Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu and Richard Ndlovu, both from Matabeleland South, to counsel against making pronouncements on the issue before the party had looked into it.
Former Zipra commanders, Phekezela Mphoko, who is former Zimbabwean ambassador to South Africa and Retired Brigadier-General Ambrose Mutinhiri, are said to be eyeing the VP post.
However, a source close to the matter told The Zimbabwe Mail at the weekend that Mutinhiri was part of the Gweru meeting that "unanimously endorsed" Simon Khaya Moyo for the vice president position.
"Mutinhiri was part of that meeting and it boggles the mind how he wants to challenge Moyo when he recommended him," said the source.
"I can understand why Mphoko, as a former Zipra commander who has been out of the country as a diplomat, wants a bite of the cherry, and not Mutinhiri. Ask Msipa and he will tell you that Mutinhiri was in that meeting."
However, Msipa declined to reveal the identities of the former senior-PF Zapu members who attended the Gweru meeting.
But sources yesterday gave the following as the names of politburo members who were part of the meeting: Cephas Msipa (In chair), Tshinga Dube, Kembo Mohadi, Angeline Masuku, Absolom Sikhosana, Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and Richard Ndlovu.
The source gave the following as the central committee members who were part of the meeting: Ambrose Mutinhiri, Khotsho Dube, Jane Ngwenya, Fidelis Maphosa, Elphas Tshuma, Molley Mpofu, Esnath Moyo, Oppah Ncube, Judith Ncube, Violet Ncube, David Ndlovu and Dennis Ndlovu.
In a recent interview in Lupane on the sidelines of a meeting where he addressed youths, Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, told The Zimbabwe Mail the position of national chairperson was not restricted to former-PF Zapu members as
it was covered by the Unity Accord.
In December Zanu-PF is scheduled to hold its congress.
Source - Zim Mail
