12 resign from Zanu-PF Youth League executive

TWELVE members of the Zanu-PF Youth League's Bulawayo provincial executive have tendered their resignations in unclear circumstances amid allegations that they were coerced by some suspended members who wanted to force the dissolution of the whole provincial structure.

In an interview with the Sunday News yesterday, the provincial Youth League chairperson Anna Mokgohloa confirmed the resignation of 12 members out of a total of 34. She said the resignation en masse was an attempt by some suspended members to force the dissolution of the entire provincial executive saying the reasons that were cited were "laughable and lacked merit".

Mokgohloa said the resigned members did not write individual letters detailing the various reasons why they were resigning but the letter showed it was written by one member who later gave the others to append their signatures.

"It's unfortunate I do not have the letter with me here. But basically it had three reasons which lack merit. The first reason they cited is that they want to be led by a duly elected chairperson. I was not elected but was co-opted from being a national member after the suspension of the chairperson and there was no anomaly there. It was so much above board.

"The other reason according to the letter was a complaint that they cannot let the provincial affairs be controlled by a 'cabal of Anna and Sandi' meaning me and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in Bulawayo Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo. They also alleged a fuel scandal saying we siphoned fuel that was meant for use during the 21st February Movement Celebrations after some of them deliberately failed to board the buses on time. They were loitering and they missed the buses from Matobo and when they came back they started accusing us of having misappropriated the fuel," she said.

Mokgohloa, however, hinted that the national executive was well aware of the goings on in Bulawayo and was prepared to deal with the unruly elements. She fingered suspended provincial secretary for finance in the youth league Davies Muhambi who she claimed was behind the coercing of other youths.

"Muhambi and the deputy secretary for education Munashe Mtutsa were suspended and are awaiting for a disciplinary hearing but they have been coercing other youths, sometimes going to the extent of paying them to resign so that they force the dissolution of the provincial executive and fresh elections in which they want to usher in an executive they will remote control. He (Muhambi) is reportedly being funded by some guy from Pakistan.

"The party's National Political Commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere, was here and we appraised him on the issue and he gave us the nod to co-opt other members to replace the 12 who have resigned and we will be doing that very soon. As for Muhambi and Mtutsa they will wait for the outcome of their disciplinary hearing," she said.

She said they were surprised to see Muhambi at the 21st February Movement Celebrations in Matobo when he had written a letter saying he would not be in the country for the event and refused to be part of the fund-raising committee as the secretary for finance.

"We are sure he is the architect of all the problems that we have in Bulawayo. He is just an unruly character who also worked hand in glove to organise a vendor demonstration against me and Minister Sandi ," said Mokgohloa.

Sunday News also spoke to the Zanu-PF Bulawayo Provincial chairman Dennis Ndlovu who confirmed the resignation saying they were not going to force people to stay when they want out.

"We do not force people to stay in our party. If someone writes a letter saying they are resigning do you expect us to reply them saying please do not resign. We do not work that way. We do not respond to resignation letters telling people to stay when they want out. We only let the responsible organ know that so and so has left the party," said Ndlovu.

Muhambi, however, hit back at Mokgohloa saying he had no hand in the resignation of the youths from the the provincial executive.

"There is no way I can have a hand in the resignation. It is her and her handlers who want to capture the provincial structures.

It is the nature of their lies that people are just refusing to tolerate anymore. People have just refused to be part of failure.

They should leave me alone and start attending to the problems of the youths. It is a collective action by the people who have refused to continue living a lie. They have lied about me that I insulted the President but they have failed to prove it," said Muhambi.

He said if 14 people were no longer part of the executive then the constitution should be invoked and people go for elections.

Meanwhile, our Harare Bureau reports that a vote of no confidence has been passed on 15 more youths in the province leaving it with only five executive members. According to Zanu-PF's constitution, provincial executive committees of the Youth League should have 32 members each, with two-thirds forming a quorum.

Sections 200 and 251 further state that: "Any office which falls vacant in any organ of the party, other than the Central Committee, shall be filled by co-option by the executive council/committee of the appropriate organ until the next elections but where the vacant offices are one-third of the total membership that organ shall automatically dissolve itself and new elections shall be held.

"A motion of no confidence shall be by a simple majority of all members of the appropriate organ. Provided that where a vote of no confidence is passed against one-third of the total membership of any organ, that organ shall automatically dissolve itself and new elections shall be held."

Asked on the legality of co-opting members to the provincial youth executive, Zanu-PF National Secretary for Administration Ignatius Chombo said: "Refer your query to Kasukuwere, the National PC, who is in Bulawayo now (yesterday) attending to the matter."

Kasukuwere's mobile phone went unanswered yesterday. National secretary for the Youth League Kudzai Chipanga said members of the national Youth League executive would be in Bulawayo today (Sunday) to address the issue, and co-opting new leaders to replace those who resigned was an option.

"Co-option is prescribed in the party's constitution so we can take that route if there is need. I am going to lead a delegation of national Youth League executive members to Bulawayo to get the real situation on the ground.

"We will meet the members and come up with a position on the next course of action. Zanu-PF is a voluntary organisation and people are free to leave the party if they so wish," he said.

Moyo, presented with the allegations against her by the Bulawayo youths, responded: "I really cannot comment because I do not even understand how that allegation arises. I am not a member of the Youth League so how can I be involved?"

The ruling party has witnessed imposition of members in many structures with senior politicians accused of pushing factional agendas. Imposition of a candidate was cited as a major reason for Zanu-PF losing last year's Norton National Assembly by-election to independent contestant Mr Temba Mliswa. This has resulted in a growing chorus for the party to hold elections so that its structures are led by people chosen by the membership.