Mujuru's NPP suspends 12 provincial council members

FORMER Vice-President Joice Mujuru's National People Party (NPP) has suspended 12 members of its Harare provincial council, further dividing the already fractured opposition party.

In an official notice posted on NPP social media platforms, Harare provincial chairman Friday Mleya said those who were suspended were rogue elements bringing the name of the party into disrepute.

"The following members and individuals, some of them elected party members and some unelected party members, have been sending electronic communications on social media groups, where they were denigrating fellow party members and leadership at various levels including the party president," he wrote.

The suspended included Nathan Guzura Chimedza (Warren Park), Silent Muvuti (Southerton), Joyce Gomba (Hatfield), Obey Chiwara (Harare South), Collin Rutsate (St Mary's), Shelton Marange (Seke South), Nyasha Nhau (St Mary's), Moreblessing Cherai (Harare South), Simon Gonde (Warren Park), Julia Mpinga (Kuwadzana West) and Brian Gamundani (Mt Pleasant).

"NPP will not tolerate individuals who behave like thugs, infiltrators and spies, who are bent on causing confusion and chaos in the party. The behaviour of these individuals has reached an unacceptable level to the extent that as a party, we have decided to immediately suspend these individuals," Mleya wrote.

But NPP national youth chairperson Lloyd Masiya said he had not been consulted on the suspensions.

"I do not condone indiscipline in any form or shape. If the allegations are substantiated with factual evidence, the party has a constitutional right to take action on the matter," he said.

"I am waiting to get a report from PC (political commissar) Chimatira on the matter because no youth can face any disciplinary action without engaging their immediate leadership as they are his constituency. Protocol and procedure is both horizontal and vertical, it's not one-way traffic."

He said it was unprofessional to address party disciplinary issues on social media platforms.

"It communicates negatively on who we are as NPP and the degree of seriousness on the matters addressed. WhatsApp is not a formal party structure. As such, I personally take the issue as hearsay until formal engagement with both the accused and the youth leadership is done," Masiya said.

NPP members in Chitungwiza were irked by the suspension of Nyasha Nhau in what they said was a clear attempt to weaken the party in Chitungwiza, after he had queried the lackadaisical approach by the province in handling the voter registration exercise.

"This is unbelievable, Nhau has sacrificed a lot for the party. Were it not for him, we would not have had the guts to join the party. The chairman was accused of stealing funds meant for T-shirts, but nothing happened to him," a woman who refused to be named said.