Zanu-PF Mat'land North gets green light to hold fresh elections

THE Zanu-PF Politburo has given Matabeleland North Province the green light to hold fresh elections for the post of provincial chairperson with Zwelitsha Masuku and Zenzo Ncube, who were suspended, eligible to contest. Masuku assumed the acting chairman's post after the suspension of Ncube who was the substantive chairman. Before that he was the vice-chairman.

Masuku was suspended late last year on allegations of flouting party procedure and was later on replaced by Thokozile Mathuthu who is the acting chairperson.

In a telephone interview from Harare yesterday, Zanu-PF national Secretary for Information and Publicity Rugare Gumbo said the dispute over Matabeleland North chair has been finalised adding that it was now up to the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) to set the election date.

"The issue of Matabeleland North chairperson was reported and discussed in the Politburo yesterday. The disciplinary committee concluded that the province can hold fresh elections and that Zwelitsha Masuku and Zenzo Ncube can participate in that election. It is now up to the PCC to decide on when the election would be held," said Gumbo.

Two weeks ago the Zanu-PF Matabeleland North provincial leadership met in Lupane and called for the speedy election of a substantive party chairperson.

They also said delays in the resolving the case of Masuku was hampering party growth and implored the Zanu-PF national Political Commissar, Webster Shamu, who attended the meeting, to present their plea to the senior leadership in Harare.

Turning to the suspension of Zanu-PF Bulawayo chairman Isaac Dakamela, Gumbo said a report on what transpired was presented to the senior leadership but was not concluded.

Said Gumbo: "Shamu gave a report about what happened in Bulawayo. We thus resolved that the case will be discussed further by the Politburo in its next meeting," said Gumbo.

The PCC suspended Dakamela in March this year after passing a vote of no confidence in him and chose his deputy Killian Sibanda to act as chairman.

At that time Dakamela insisted the decision to suspend him was unconstitutional.

Following misunderstanding over the issue, the PCC organised a meeting which was attended by Shamu last month where the party leadership resolved that Sibanda remains the acting chairman until the senior leadership makes a final decision on the suspension of Dakamela.