CONTROVERSIAL Destiny of Afrika Network director Obadiah Musindo’s activities in Bulawayo have widened cracks in Zanu PF party structures with some members reportedly feeling threatened by his programmes aimed at wooing 50 000 new supporters for the embattled party.
Report by Nduduzo Tshuma
Zanu PF has not won a single parliamentary seat in Bulawayo since the MDC first contested in national elections in 2000.
Musindo has set up base in the city and has promised development projects targeting youths like the provision of 5 000 housing stands in the next two months.
He is also running empowerment projects that are meant to woo 50 000 new Zanu PF supporters in Bulawayo ahead of this year’s elections.
However, during a party meeting at the Zanu PF provincial headquarters at Davies Hall on Tuesday, some party district chairpersons reportedly complained that Musindo was holding programmes in their areas without notifying them.
Zanu PF provincial chairperson Killian Sibanda yesterday confirmed the meeting saying they would engage Musindo over the matter.
“It is unfortunate that at this time of elections, some people want to take Musindo to their areas and create an impression that he is there because of them and claim credit yet Musindo’s intentions might be genuine,” Sibanda said.
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Zanu PF insiders alleged that Sibanda felt threatened by Musindo’s interaction with party members in the province especially youths. They said Sibanda did not recognise the provincial interim party youth executive that was working with Musindo.
The insiders alleged that Sibanda was biased towards sacked provincial chairman Butholezwe Gatsi and feared that Musindo’s projects would popularise the interim youth executive and in a way threaten his position. But Sibanda dismissed the claims as lies.
Musindo yesterday denied allegations that he was interfering in Zanu PF structures, saying he had always notified the party leadership of his group’s activities.
He said the party leadership including Bulawayo Governor Cain Mathema, who is also Zanu PF deputy secretary for information and publicity, had attended some of the meetings.
“When we embark on our programmes, we invite the entire party leadership,” Musindo said. “We are a Christian organisation that shares the same ideology with Zanu PF and the leadership is happy with our activities. As a church organisation, we are not answerable to any political party. We chose to work with Zanu PF because of our shared ideology, but that does not mean we need permission from Zanu PF to hold programmes.”
