Zanu PF is reportedly mulling moving its national conference from Bulawayo to Midlands Province after the feuding Bulawayo provincial factions failed to reconcile their differences, thus scuttling preparations for the annual party indaba.
The former ruling party is expected to hold its annual conference at the end of the year.
Last month, Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa announced the conference would be held in Bulawayo, but the province has been blighted by unending disputes between factions.
Insiders said factional clashes between former Information and Publicity minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and regional stalwart Callistus Ndlovu, have reportedly threatened to derail arrangements for the conference. But Zanu PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo yesterday said he was not aware of the change of venue.
“I do not know anything about it. All I know is that the annual party conference was meant to be held in Bulawayo. I have not heard of any changes,” he said. As part of preparations for the meeting, the Bulawayo provincial coordinating committee (PCC) was supposed to have set up sub-committees, but failed due to continued disunity among influential officials. Confusion continues to stalk the PCC — made up of politburo, central committee and provincial executive members.
“There is confusion over who is in control because both Sikhanyiso (Ndlovu) and Callistus (Ndlovu) are battling for the control of the province and this is causing serious discomfort among other leaders. We understand that there are considerations to move the conference to Midlands if factional fighting doesn’t stop,” said the source.
“Sikhanyiso Ndlovu was dethroned by Callistus Ndlovu as head of Bulawayo Province last year as rifts rocked the former liberation movement. The fight is raging and it is disrupting smooth preparations for the December conference, expected to endorse President Robert Mugabe as the party candidate in the next elections,” he added.
A fortnight ago, Zanu PF bigwigs in Matabeleland met at Elangeni Centre where Vice-President John Nkomo and national party chairman Simon Khaya Moyo tried in vain to calm the nasty political turmoil haunting the region.
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Interestingly, Sikhanyiso and Callistus Ndlovu were appointed into an education committee to look at educational facilities in the region. Bickering between the two party bigwigs would negatively affect the implementation of party projects.
Sikhanyiso Ndlovu declined to comment on the matter while Callistus Ndlovu was not reachable on his mobile phone.
Zanu PF is frantically trying to lure the Matabeleland electorate which dumped the party in 2000 with the MDC dominating subsequent polls.
President Mugabe faces widespread opposition in Matabeleland mainly due to the Gukurahundi atrocities which left 20 000 dead and 60 000 women and minors raped by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade unleashed at the height of the dissident era in the early 1980s.
