Zanu-PF makes U-turn on purged official

THE Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial leadership has reinstated party stalwart Cleopas Kundiona less than a week after he was purged.

Kundiona, who is the provincial deputy secretary for legal affairs, was on March 4 suspended from carrying out party activities after being accused of a litany of allegations, one of them being failure to attend party events organised by his rival and Zanu-PF Marondera Central candidate for the March 26 by-elections Ignatius Mateveke.

He was also ordered to appear before a disciplinary committee on March 25.

The move to suspend him caused a backlash after some Zanu-PF supporters threatened a protest vote.

Kundiona yesterday confirmed that he had been reinstated.

"I am back at the party. We are focusing on winning the Marondera Central seat, hence we are mobilising support for the party candidate," he said.

Kundiona has been appearing at Zanu-PF events for the past week where he was being introduced as a provincial member.

A letter dated March 4 signed by Zanu-PF provincial vice-chairperson Kudzai Majuru suspended the educationist from the party.

Both Majuru and the provincial party spokesperson were not answering their mobile phones yesterday.

Kundiona, who is the owner of UMAA Group of Colleges, lost the Zanu-PF primaries to Mateveke for the Marondera Central constituency by-election.

The Marondera Central seat fell vacant following the recall of  Caston Matewu (MDC Alliance) by the MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora.