‘Schoolboy’ Khaya can’t be VP, Ndlovu

via ‘Schoolboy’ Khaya can’t be VP, Ndlovu 21/10/2014

ZANU PF politburo member, Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, has opted out of the race for the vice-presidency and dismissed as unqualified one of the nominees for the job, current chairman Simon Khaya Moyo

There has been a stampede for the VP post among former PF-Zapu members who say the 1987 Unity Accord stipulated that it should be reserved for former PF Zapu cadres.

Five people, Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu, Simon Khaya Moyo, Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi, Mphoko, and Rtd Brigadier General Ambrose Mutinhiri have signalled interest in the post.

But the law of precedence had put Khaya Moyo ahead of the pack after two national chairpersons before him, Joseph Msika and John Nkomo, landed the vice-presidency.

“I’m pleased to advise that, after a careful and wide-ranging process of consultations over the last eight or so weeks, I have decided not to be part of the contest for the post of Vice-President and second secretary of Zanu PF reserved for the former PF-Zapu,” said Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu.

“I fully agree with the sentiment recently expressed by the First Lady, and our party’s incoming Secretary for Women’s Affairs, Dr Grace Mugabe, that the two posts of vice-president and second secretaries of Zanu PF are not meant to be contested for as products and expressions of the historic 1987 Unity Accord.”

He said the race for the post was mired in confusion, which he did not want to be a part of, adding he would rather advise on the way forward from outside the “confusion”.

Asked what he meant by seniority, Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu said: “People like Mphoko built the liberation war effort from the front on the battlefield, not from a classroom,” in apparent reference to Khaya Moyo who was at school at the beginning of the liberation war.

“You can’t compare a person who was at school, fighting from the classroom, whose main contribution was praying and telling friends in class that ‘my friends are fighting, I will join them in future,’ with a person who was on the field someone who will tell you Zipra was formed in such a year and gives you the command hierarchy,” he added.

The first black mayor of Bulawayo at independence in 1980 refused to say outright that Mphoko was the most senior, saying he was explaining what happened for readers to determine for themselves who was the deserving candidate.

“One was at school and he can be called a schoolboy, the one who was in the bush was a soldier, he was fighting the actual war. The readers can then decide for themselves,” said Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu.

He said he had tried to engage Mohadi and Mphoko on the VP issue, but they only came for one meeting and ignored calls for other meetings.

“I could not get in touch with Mutinhiri because I do not have his number. As for SK, a schoolboy, what would I speak with him? He writes books according to instructions and takes minutes,” said the Politburo member.