Madhuku to step down from NCA

via Madhuku to step down from NCA – DailyNews Live by Lloyd Mbiba  24 SEPTEMBER 2013

Lovemore Madhuku is set to step down this week from National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) to form a new political party.

Blessing Vava, the NCA’s director for information and publicity, confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that there will be leadership change during the constitutional reform lobby group’s congress which is pencilled for September 28.

“There will be leadership renewal at the congress as stated by our constitution,” Vava said. “Madhuku has indicated that he will not seek another mandate and we respect his decision. Who will take over, I cannot tell you because the decision solely lies with the delegates.”

Madhuku has been the chairperson of the NCA since 2001 when he took over from MDC  leader Morgan Tsvangirai who, two years earlier, had ventured into mainstream politics through the then united Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

There had been fears that Madhuku will turn the lobby group into a political party but Vava allayed the fears.

“There is nothing like that which will happen,” Vava said. “No one will turn NCA into a political party because it’s not an individual’s organisation.

If someone wants to establish a political party he or she should first resign from NCA before pursuing a political career.” Madhuku stated earlier this year that he intended to form a new political party after the harmonised elections.

The constitutional law expert was unavailable to comment on the matter as his phone went unanswered.

Vava said the NCA will use the congress to re-strategise.

“The congress was supposed to be held in 2011 but we deferred it.

“Now it has come at a right time as we need to re-strategise and determine the course of action that we need to take to remain relevant,” Vava said.

The NCA was founded in 1997, and officially launched in 1998 at the University of Zimbabwe by civic organisations, amongst which were trade unions, opposition parties, student groups, women’s groups, representatives of the informal sector, and church groups