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Zapu dissolves Bulawayo structures

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ZAPU has dissolved its Bulawayo provincial committee over poor performance and appointed an interim committee to run the party’s affairs, pending election of a new provincial committee.

ZAPU has dissolved its Bulawayo provincial committee over poor performance and appointed an interim committee to run the party’s affairs, pending election of a new provincial committee.

BY KHANYILE MLOTSHWA

The interim committee is expected to prepare the province for elections to choose a new substantive committee in January 2017.

Zapu national chairperson, Isaac Mabuka confirmed the developments that took place on Sunday.

“Yes, I can confirm that we have dissolved the Bulawayo province,” he said.

“We are going to have elections for a new committee in January. We dissolved it because its performance, compared to other provinces, was very poor.”

Bulawayo provincial spokesperson, Iphithule Maphosa confirmed the developments, saying the province was expected to come up with a new committee, and to reorganise its structures.

“We are preparing for elections (in January) to reconstitute the province, and that means not only reconstituting the committee, but the whole structure.”

Maphosa said there were reports of fist-fights at the Sunday meeting because “some people were resisting the dissolution”.

“Apparently, there are people, who wanted to resist the dissolution,” he said.

“However, they have now backed down and accepted.”

Outgoing chairperson, Gibson Sibanda confirmed the development, but refused to shed more light.

“It is difficult for me as the target of the axe to defend myself,” he said.

“But at the meeting, we outlined what we have achieved, as a province even though some people were not convinced that things are moving well.”

Bulawayo province has had challenges dating back to 2012, when the then chairperson, Ray Ncube, was expelled on allegations of disrespecting protocol.

This was after Ncube wrote a letter directly to the party president, Dumiso Dabengwa outlining some of the challenges the party was facing in the province.

Hardly a month after Ncube’s expulsion, the party suspended the national youth representative in the national executive council, Mqondisi Moyo, for gross insubordination.

A defiant Moyo refused to attend a disciplinary committee hearing dismissing the committee as “a kitchen cabinet”, that had already resolved to expel him.

Moyo now leads Mthwakazi Republic Party, as president.