Source: Zanu-PF Central Committee polls hot up | The Herald November 15, 2017
MATABELELAND provinces are set to hold Central Committee elections tomorrow and Friday, with Matabeleland South Province saying it will also start disciplinary hearings against party members who were allegedly loyal to fired Vice President Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa. Bulawayo provincial chairman Cde Dennis Ndlovu said they were yet to finalise on the exact date for Central Committee elections, but added that the polls may be held either tomorrow or on Friday.
He said the province would today hold inter-district meetings that will chart the way for the province’s Central Committee elections. Cde Ndlovu said democratic processes should be followed during the internal elections.
“We are going to be electing 20 Central Committee members and party members are free to choose whom they want. That is what democracy is all about. The party members are aware of the criteria to be followed and those who do not fit in the criteria should not bother trying to contest in the elections,” said Cde Ndlovu. He said the province was not in a hurry to institute disciplinary hearings against perceived sympathisers of ex-VP Mnangagwa as there are more pressing issues to be dealt with such as the elections.
The development comes at a time the party has urged provinces to follow laid down procedures in handling disciplinary cases. Matabeleland North chairman Cde Richard Moyo said they would hold a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee (PCC) meeting today in preparation for the Central Committee elections to be held on Friday. He said the province does not have problems of renegade members.
Matabeleland South provincial interim chairman Cde Saul Mahalima Ncube yesterday said they would hold a PCC and provincial executive committee meeting as well as disciplinary hearings today ahead of Central Committee elections to be held on Friday. He said disciplinary hearings would be for lower ranking officials. Cde Ncube said cases involving Central Committee members would be handled by the National Disciplinary Committee.
“We’re going to be having three meetings tomorrow (today). To start with, we will have disciplinary hearings in the morning before we conduct a Provincial Executive Committee meeting, which will be followed by the Provincial Co-ordinating Committee. We need to deal with our local cases so that we can make resolutions before conducting Central Committee elections on Friday. We are not going to hear cases for members who occupy Central Committee positions as their cases are being handled by the National Disciplinary Committee,” he said.
Cde Ncube urged the party’s members to remain united ahead of the disciplinary hearings and Central Committee elections. Harare provincial chairperson Cde Charles Tavengwa said CVs will be sent to the National Elections Directorate today, while elections are expected before the end of the week.
Our Masvingo Bureau reports that several ruling party bigwigs in the province have been nominated to become members of the ZANU-PF Central Committee, with former Masvingo Governor Cde Willard Chiwewe and Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Dr Paul Chimedza headlining senior officials who have won elections to be members of the key ruling party organ ahead of the revolutionary party’s Special Congress slated for December. The majority of senior officials who were in the Central Committee could not make it as most of them were barred from contesting the elections after being suspended for being part of a group fronted by fired Vice President Mnangagwa that was accused of undermining President Mugabe.
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