Zapu threaten to dislodge Zanu PF in Bulawayo

Zapu candidate for Luveve constituence in the June 10 by election in Bulawayo, Ammon Dube Nyamambi has threa threatened to surprise Zanu PF in the polls by winning.

Party spokesperson Mjobisi Noko described Nyamambi as a modest man with many decades past him and whose contribution to the community around him speaks for itself.

" Nyamambi who is 'MP in waiting' for the Luveve constituency is not a new comer when it comes to developmental issues concerning Luveve, Bulawayo and Matabeleland at large," said Noko.

"To him it is a passion which he is sure will blossom once in office.

A onetime famed radio presenter with the then Central African Broadcasting Corporation his voice is not new when it comes to tackling developmental issues.

One of his popular programmes he produced and presented was called *Radio Doctor* and in essence it was informative and educative to the African of the day.

Nyamambi said "The welfare of my kith and keen has always been at the core of my heart ever since. I then joined the Central African Broadcasting Corporation and rose to fame as one of the few enlightened black presenters."

"My programme *"Radio Doctor'* which was in vernacular targeted the black community. It filled the gap in providing them with information on how on whole issues on health, disease prevention and hygiene."

His long history of community leadership was also to be shown in 1974 and 1975 when he became the first vice-chair of Rhodesia's inaugural housing programe for blacks.

This was known as the Self Built Scheme project, where blacks for the first time bought land to build their own houses.

In independent Zimbabwe, the Filabusi born founding ZAPU cadre found himself on the forefront of community development issues through public approval.

"In 2010 I was elected by Luveve residents in my ward to be head of my ward in a UN Habitat sponsored training programe dubbed *Community Based Planning Committee* covering 29 wards in the surburb.

"The initiative aimed at equipping residents to identify, analyze and adopt a problem with the aim of finding lasting solutions in community problems as is the case with residents' associations who wait for the council," says Cde Nyamambi.

Not to disappoint the residents' trust in him, Cde Nyamambi went on to shine on the assignment, producing alongside other ward chairpersons for the UN Habitat initiative, produce detailed booklets about the history of Gwabalanda and Luveve as a whole. The books which are a treasure for future developmental programmes and for information purposes in the area are archived at the Bulawayo City Libraries.

And his life is full of action with time being spread between church, politics, and community development issues.

The politician is a church elder with the Brethren in Christ Church and also had a stint with the Highlanders Football Club as a board member. It was at Highlanders that he encountered a nasty experience, that left him convinced devolution is in the best interests of all Zimbabweans.

"You know why I support devolution? In my time as a board member of Highlanders there was a major cup against a Harare based team and our team won.

"But guys there in Harare withheld the trophy and the prize money and we had to engage them first through dialogue but later had to temporarily withdraw from the premier league matches ," sadly recalls the man.

Born in Filabusi in 1931 and finishing his formal education at Wanezi School , Cde Nyamambi was to later do his O'levels via correspondence and on passing proceeded to attain a professional accounting certificate.

As humble as he is, Cde Nyamambi is content with his 'low profile' political involvement during the colonial era.

Before ZAPU came into being, he was active in the Youth League of the African National Congress brushing shoulders late revered nationalists like Father Zimbabwe (ZAPU founding President) Cde Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, James Chikerema and Gift Nyandoro.

"I was just a stone thrower during the struggle," says Cde Nyamambi. .

He said this literally means they would regularly throw stones to Rhodhesia' security agents who often confronted black nationalists, a clear test to his resilience and fearless nature as a revolutionary cadre.

His confrontational approach to politics was only to stop upon joining the Rhodesian's Information ministry as a radio personality, signing an oath of allegiance to the settler regime although underground, he remained the busy man on the political terrain of a future Zimbabwe.

On his promise to the Constituency "unemployment rules the roost in Bulawayo and my constituency in particular and I will ensure that my tenure will give rise to meaningful projects that will help transform livelihoods.

"I will also ensure that Gwabalanda has its own administrative offices, social amenities. Imagine Gwabalanda as big as it is it doesn't have even a single community hall," he stressed.