Zanu-PF purges more

ZANU-PF cadres in Gwanda district have listed names of members that they say should be expelled from the party for allegedly plotting to oust President Mugabe.

On Friday, some Zanu-PF members in Matabeleland South Province demonstrated against the party's provincial secretary for information and publicity Malachi Nkomo and provincial secretary for lands Jabulani "Phetshu" Sibanda calling for them to step down from their posts.

The developments follow the recent booting out of provincial chairperson Andrew Langa, who was accused of fanning factionalism and aligning himself with a faction working against President Mugabe.

Party sources in the district said a long list of provincial members has been drawn up by the district with plans underway to push out several other provincial members for various reasons, chief among them being that they were aligned to people plotting against President Mugabe.

Gwanda Central and North MPs, Cdes Edison Gumbo and Madodana Sibanda are said to have been included in the list. Bulilima West MP Lungisani Ndazi Nleya was also listed together with Langa's wife, Clara Langa and her boss, the Women's League provincial chairperson Alice Dube.

Also on the list is the provincial political commissar Nicholas Nkomo.

The less than 10 demonstrators were said to be from Insiza South Constituency where Nkomo is the Member of Parliament.

The demonstration was said to have been organised by party members that included Spare Sithole, Jabulani "Mbambayila" Dube and Johnson Vakatsha Langa.

The protestors alleged that Cdes Nkomo and Sibanda were working with certain elements plotting to unseat President Mugabe as they did not sign a petition that resulted in the recent elbowing out of Andrew Langa, the party's former provincial chairman.

They alleged that Nkomo also diverted seed donated by the First Lady for his own use and also allegedly pocketed some  JOMIC money which was meant to pay the polling agents in last year's harmonised elections.

It is said that Nkomo also insulted and denigrated war veterans in the province by calling them "abantu abangagqokiyo amaphenti (People without underwear)."

"As Insiza District we are not happy with Nkomo and we feel that he is not fit to stand for our constituency," said one of the demonstrators.

Sithole confirmed that he had a hand in the demonstration saying they wanted to wipe out all those working to oust President Mugabe.

"We are not fighting anyone but we are cleaning our house to make Zim-Asset a success. We must take out all those people (working against the President) before Congress. We want them to go where they belong. They must go and there is no reverse on that," said Sithole.

Nkomo said the demonstration was staged by desperate losers who wanted to draw the attention of the media.

He dismissed the allegations as lies manufactured by bitter party members who lost to him during last year's primary elections.

Sithole lost to Nkomo in the primary elections. He is reported to be conducting parallel programmes in Insiza South Constituency without the knowledge of the elected MP, Nkomo.

"I would have signed the petition if I had seen it but the problem is that I did not see it. I am totally behind the First Family and I cannot work with people working against the President. I attended the First Lady's rallies here in Matabeleland.

"There was not even a single member of the Provincial Executive Committee in that demonstration. They drafted the  petition and tried to coerce many people  into signing it and the few people who signed did so because they were threatened. I will never insult any war veteran as they are purporting because I have respect for them," said Nkomo.

But Phetshu Sibanda said he did not sign the petition that removed Langa and would not sign if any other second petition was brought forward again as he did not belong to any faction.

"I don't do factions. I am a loyal party cadre who does not belong to any faction. I am loyal to the President and I joined Zanu-PF through the Unity Accord and will remain loyal," he said.

Meanwhile, the province yesterday accredited delegates at the party's provincial party's headquarters in Gwanda Town who will attend the National People's Congress next month. The provincial chairperson of information and publicity for the congress preparation committee, Washington Nkomo, said the accreditation process ran smoothly and no challenges were faced.

He appealed for donations from well-wishers to assist fundraise for the province in preparation for the Congress.

However, he could not reveal how much the province had raised so far.