Zanu Ndonga joins Zanu-PF

FORMER opposition party Zanu Ndonga has finally seen the light and joined the ruling party, Zanu-PF, it emerged at the weekend.

Former Chipinge South legislator Wilson Tarugarira Khumbula and other former councillors announced the decision to officially join Zanu-PF at star rally held in Chipinge on Sunday.

Speaking at the rally to drum up support for Zanu-PF candidate for Chipinge Ward One by-election held at Maunganidze Primary School attended by hundreds of supporters, Khumbula, who was the bona fide Zanu president after the late Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, unequivocally told the gathering that Zanu as a party had agreed to join hands with the revolutionary party.

Khumbula said his party had joined Zanu-PF because they share a common history.

He said: "We as Zanu took the decision to join Zanu-PF given the common historical background shared between the two parties.

"I am an ex-detainee myself and I was tortured and later incarcerated at Hwahwa Prison by colonialist together with fellow comrades. It is a common history of the liberation struggle and party ideologies that unites the two parties than divide us. Now that we are becoming a single party, I urge all former Zanu members to join Zanu-PF and take part in all activities, including getting into the party structures," he said.

Turning to the by-election, Khumbula urged all party supporters to go out in their numbers and vote for Zanu-PF candidate as a united front.

He castigated opposition parties involved in the election for serving Zimbabwe's detractors' interests.

Speaking at the same rally where she officially introduced Khumbula and his team to Zanu-PF leadership and party supporters, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Mandi Chimene said the decision reached by Zanu was welcome.

"The decision by Zanu upholds the aspirations of all liberators. It was always my dream to unite people. I am putting a lot of effort in building a unified Manicaland Province, united under our principled revolutionary party Zanu-PF in order to achieve development priorities under Zim-Asset," she said.

The Ward One by-election is scheduled for today (Friday). The seat fell vacant following the death of Albert Mzimba, who died on October 20 last year. Zanu-PF will be represented by Conrad Manyange.

"I know that you voted the late Mzimba in 2013 and it is unfortunate that he passed on. It is pleasing to note that once again you are itching to replace him with yet another bona fide Zanu-PF candidate, Manyange.

"It is an obvious case that the party will emerge victorious. I urge you to demonstrate that Zanu-PF is the people's party by winning the by-election by a wide margin," she said.

Acting Zanu-PF provincial chairperson Dr Samuel Undenge was quick to donate a beast for victory celebrations.

"Upon winning this by-election, I promise this ward a beast for victory celebrations. It is not my first time working with this ward. My experience with you shows that you are strong cadres who rally behind their party," he said.

Dr Undenge took a swipe at little known political parties for using by-elections as fund-raising tools.

"I know that these political parties are after nothing else but justification to receive donor funding which when received will be channelled to personal use. Nothing will be channelled towards development," said Dr Undenge.