Ousted Zanu-PF provincial head hijacks meeting

OUSTED Matabeleland South Zanu-PF provincial head of security Lungisani Nleya tried to impose himself on party members from his district demanding to be reinstated.

Nleya, who is Bulilima West legislator, tried to impose himself at a Bulilima District party planning meeting on Wednesday at the party offices.

The MP is one of the party officials who were suspended last year following a vote of no confidence passed on them for allegedly working with former Vice President Joice Mujuru to topple President Mugabe.

New Matabeleland South provincial head of security, Christopher Masuku, who was chairing the district planning meeting had to adjourn the meeting in a bid to contain the commotion caused by Nleya who was disrupting the proceedings.

Members had to abandon the meeting after the disturbances and police were later called in to restore order.

Nleya, who had been allowed to attend the meeting started accusing party members of betraying him.

"Nleya raised his hand and was given an opportunity to make a contribution like all the other members. He demanded to know why he was suspended from the party and also demanded that we reverse his suspension," said a party official who attended the meeting.

The official said Nleya claimed that he was still the provincial head of security and the most senior member of the party within the district.

The party official said Nleya thereafter demanded to chair the meeting.

He said the legislator who had reportedly brought to the meeting some of his sympathisers demanded that those present vote to establish who were in support or against his reinstatement.

Disgruntled members reportedly started leaving the meeting venue in protest over Nleya's actions as they refused to defy a provincial directive.

Masuku confirmed in an interview that Nleya caused a lot of commotion which disrupted the meeting.

He said the legislator began accusing district party members of failing to support him during the Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting where he was booted out.

Nleya is reported to have also accused party members of bad mouthing him thereby causing his suspension.

"There was indeed a lot of noise at our planning meeting which was caused by Nleya. I do not understand why he was doing that because he was suspended by the provincial executive.

"He demanded that we reverse the expulsion but we cannnot as a district. I tried to advise him that if he had a query he should write a report to the relevant people," said Masuku.

He said the party members had allowed Nleya to attend the meeting in his capacity as the MP for Bulilima West but he went on to abuse that privilege.

Masuku said according to the Zanu-PF constitution, the official with the highest rank at provincial level had the responsibility to oversee party programmes within the district.

Recently, police had to be called at a Zanu-PF Matabeleland South Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting in Gwanda to chuck out suspended members who had forced their way into the venue.

The group, which was suspended in the build-up to last year's Zanu-PF 6th National People's Congress, initially refused to leave and only did so after intervention by the police.

Among the group were ousted party spokesperson and Insiza South legislator, Malaki Nkomo, Bulilima West legislator Nleya, Senator Alma Mkhwebu, ex-deputy chairperson of the women's league, Clara Langa, ex-secretary for lands, Jabulani Phetshu Sibanda, Tafirenyika Seremani and deposed secretary for legal affairs in the youth league, Nkosiyabo Ndlovu.