Zapu-Canada Gears for its Provincial Elective Conference

Press Release

The Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU)'s Canada Province, is preparing to hold it's first Provincial Elective Conference to elect a Provincial Executive at the end of this month. The new executive will be the chief administrative body of the party's Canada Province. Zapu, the Dr. Dumiso Dabengwa led Zimbabwe opposition party has structures outside the country which were necessitated by the exodus of Zimbabweans to different parts of the world. The party's 9th Congress which was held in Bulawayo last year designated four regions to represent its Diaspora Provinces namely Europe, South Africa, Canada and the United States. Zapu broke away from the Unity Accord of 1987 with the then ruling Zanu PF after a special Congress in 2009 citing unfulfilled promises and disagreements over policy matters.

Since 2009, Zapu members in Canada have been working hard to mobilize Zimbabweans to support the party. Mobilization efforts have been hampered by the sheer size of the country however. Zimbabweans are scattered throughout the vast country, in some cases in very small and remote areas of Canada, a fact which pauses a big challenge for the mobilization process. However, the party's interim executive feels that many logistical challenges can be tackled better by an elected executive that is accountable to its membership.

Membership in Zapu's Canada Province has grown steadily since the revival of the party. "We started off with just 9 members, who formed the Interim Executive," said Mr. Ocean Mlaga, a Zipra war veteran and the Party's Coordinator the Diaspora's Golden Jubilee Celebrations. Zapu, which is Zimbabwe's oldest liberation movement turns 50 this year. The revived party's main thrust is the development of a democratic state through meaningful devolution of power to the provinces. When elected, Zapu will seek constitutional reforms to allow the country's provinces to have more control of their resources and be able to run their affairs. The devolution of power to the provinces would empower Zimbabweans at grassroots level to shape their own future. Most Zimbabweans have been disillusioned by the current system where decisions are made by people who more often than not have no interest in regions that they have no personal ties with. A Zapu government will also seek to revert to the original 5 provinces instead of the current 10. Having fought in the struggle to liberate the country from British colonial rule and couple with its unflinching commitment to the rule of law, Zapu offers a clear and dignified alternative for Zimbabweans in the next general elections. The party also favors the enfranchisement of diaspora based Zimbabweans.

Zapu Canada at this point feels it has accumulated a 'comfortable' membership base to dissolve its Interim Executive strucure and replace it with substantive positions. Up to 18 positions will be contested in the provincial elective conference including the positions of Chairperson, Zawu (Women's wing), Youth Front Chairperson and Council of Elders Chairperson. Elections Committee Chairperson has extended the deadline for branches and districts to complete the nomination process to Friday, 22nd July. The elective conference is due to take place on July 31st in St. Catharines, Ontario (Eastern Region) and Edmonton, Alberta (Western Region) simultaneously, interlinked by video. "We want to give all branches enough time to file their nominations in order to ensure maximum participation," said Mr. Raymond Ndlovu, who heads the Zapu-Canada Province Elections Committee. Many branches across Canada met this past weekend to nominate candidates to contest in the Provincial Elective Conference.