Zanu PF Matabeleland South province on Thursday threw spanners into the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (Jomic)’s operations when it withdrew from all meetings of the committee in the province in protest over an alleged insult on President Robert Mugabe by the MDC-T provincial youth chairperson.
MDC-T provincial youth chairperson Morgan Ncube allegedly called Mugabe “a baboon” early this month when he was addressing a rally in Bulilima which angered Zanu PF leaders in the province.
Zanu PF Matabeleland South chairman Andrew Langa has written to the Jomic National Office in Harare, advising them of the pullout until there was a court verdict on the matter.
“Zanu PF in Matabeleland South is temporarily withdrawing from attending Jomic meetings and activities pending the court proceedings over the provincial chairperson of the youth wing of MDC-T who is alleged to have hurled insults publicly at his Excellency President Robert Gabriel Mugabe,” reads part of the letter copied to MDC and MDC-T Jomic co-chairpersons Petros Mukwena and Watchy Sibanda, respectively.
In the letter, Langa added that they were “treating the matter seriously”.
Both Mukwena and Sibanda confirmed receiving the letter.
Mukwena said the meeting was postponed “until further notice after Langa surprisingly raised the issue”.
“We told Langa that as Jomic we have no jurisdiction or the right to interfere with the police or court processes or even discuss the issue as Jomic,” Mukwena said. “It was then that Langa said he was writing to the Jomic National Office.”
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Ncube early this month handed himself to police in Plumtree following reports that they were keen to interview him for allegedly insulting Mugabe during a campaign rally.
The youth leader, who was due to appear at the Plumtree Magistrates’ Court yesterday, was initially denied bail on his first appearance after magistrate Stephen Mavhuna ruled that he could incite violence ahead of the forthcoming elections if granted bail.
