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Zanu PF lifts Madiro, Matuke suspensions

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ZANU PF’s national disciplinary hearing has reportedly lifted suspensions on former provincial chairpersons for Manicaland and Masvingo Mike Madiro and Lovemore Matuke respectively.

ZANU PF’s national disciplinary hearing has reportedly lifted suspensions on former provincial chairpersons for Manicaland and Masvingo Mike Madiro and Lovemore Matuke respectively and three Mashonaland Central Youth League officials as the party edges towards its December elective congress.

EVERSON MUSHAVA

Although party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo only conformed the clearing of only one Youth League member, Kudakwashe Sindu, party insiders said the disciplinary committee had cleared the five officials.

“Kudakwashe Sindu, from Mashonaland Central, has been allowed to stand for election into the national executive,” Gumbo said while briefing journalists after the party’s politburo meeting yesterday.

The party recently introduced stringent election guidelines which barred members who have not served for a consecutive 15 years, of which five years should be in the provincial executive, from contesting any posts at the congress.

The move had effectively ruled out the likes of Information minister Jonathan Moyo, Daniel Shumba, Kindness Paradza, Jacob Mudenda and July Moyo, among others.

But officials said the national disciplinary hearing meeting held on Tuesday, headed by party national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo, legal affairs secretary Emmerson Mnangagwa, defence secretary Sydney Sekeramayi and Women’s League boss Oppah Muchinguri had unconditionally lifted the suspensions, paving way for the affected members to contest for national positions if approved by the party’s national elections directorate.

“The national disciplinary hearing has cleared Madiro, Matuke, and the three youths from Mashonaland Central province,” an official who refused to be named said.

Madiro was suspended last year for allegedly abusing donations meant for President Robert Mugabe’s birthday celebrations. Matuke was suspended for endorsing expelled Bikita West legislator; Munyaradzi Kereke’s candidature ahead of the July 31 2013 elections when the party preferred Elias Musakwa.

Sindu, who is secretary for administration in the Youth League, was suspended alongside his Mashonaland Central youth chairman Godfrey Tsenengamu and indigenisation secretary Kaleb Karima, for passing a vote-of-no-confidence on deputy provincial chairperson Mujubheki Maodzeka. The three were suspended after Maodzeka claimed that he was being victimised for backing Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who is believed to be leading a faction vying to succeed Mugabe.

Gumbo refused to disclose a list of the women and youth members who have been cleared to contest for national executive positions at the party’s women and youth conferences to be held next month. He said the final list would be disclosed after next week’s central committee meeting.

Zanu PF’s election directorate is also believed to have met on Monday and disqualified the gun-toting Mike Gava who is facing criminal charges.

Gumbo said the politburo did not discuss the endorsement of Mugabe’s wife, Grace to lead the Women’s League.