SENIOR Zanu PF officials in Bulawayo will meet tomorrow to make a formal recommendation for the dissolution of the party’s provincial executive following a weekend marred by violence.
Report by Nduduzo Tshuma
Zanu PF chairman Simon Khaya Moyo was on Sunday forced to abandon a meeting at the party’s Davies Hall headquarters after youths demanded the ouster of provincial chairman Killian Sibanda.
After the disturbances that began on Saturday, Zanu PF politburo, central committee and National Consultative Assembly (NCA) members organised a meeting where a resolution to disband Sibanda’s executive was reached.
NCA member Micah Parira Mpofu told NewsDay yesterday that the proposal to dissolve the provincial executive was made by Matabeleland South governor Angeline Masuku before the matter was put to a vote.
“After the violent clashes, a meeting was chaired by Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, but he briefly went out and Masuku took over.
“She suggested that the entire provincial structure be dissolved. The problem is that senior party leaders have joined factions.
“When we got to the meeting, we discovered that there were some leaders who had sponsored the youths to engage in violence.
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“After the violence, we met and some suggested that the province be dissolved.
“I objected and said rather we punish those individuals responsible for the violence.
“The dissolution is not constitutional. “In the meeting, it got to a point where Masuku wanted to know how many people wanted the province to be dissolved and only five people raised their hands.
“I abstained from voting along with five others.”
Mpofu said those who attended the meeting insisted that those abstaining from voting should be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
“They said those abstaining would need to have their details recorded,” the former councillor said. “I said some of the leaders wanted to have the province dissolved because they want to remove Killian Sibanda. Some central committee members have even said they will never attend meetings chaired by him.”
Other Zanu PF sources said the chaos engulfing the Bulawayo structures was related to the race to succeed late Vice-President John Nkomo.
“The whole thing is associated with succession,” said an insider. “Some central committee members met in Tsholotsho last week and hatched a plan to get rid of Sibanda because he is linked to (Mines and Mining Development minister) Obert Mpofu.”
Sibanda yesterday declined to comment on the matter. Masuku was said to be out of office yesterday and both her mobile phones were not reachable.
