THE Zanu PF Matabeleland South’s Provincial Coordinating Committee has endorsed President Mnangagwa as the sole candidate for the party’s elective congress to be held late next month and consequently for next year’s harmonised elections.
The PCC also recommended that the revolutionary party’s Second Secretary, Cde Kembo Mohadi, who is from the same province, to be uncontested in the upcoming Central Committee elections.
In an interview last night, Zanu PF’s Matabeleland South provincial chairman Cde Mangaliso Ndlovu said they had also recommended that Cde Billy Muzamo, who passed on last week, be declared a national hero.
“We had very a fruitful meeting where we received CVs for those who want to contest in the Central Committee elections,” he said.
“However, we unanimously agreed to endorse President Mnangagwa as our sole candidate at the upcoming elective congress and the harmonised elections set for next year.
“In the same vain, we also recommended that the party’s Second secretary, Cde Kembo Mohadi should be honoured and not contested for the Central Committee elections.”
Cde Ndlovu said they thoroughly looked at the CVs of those seeking election into the Central Committee.
The CVs came from all the seven administrative districts.
Besides Cde Mohadi, the PCC also agreed that those seeking election should be recommended by structures in the district they come from.
Cde Ndlovu said a number of people from the province had shown keen interest to fill up the available positions within the party.
“Additionally, we recommended to the national party leadership that they declare the late Cde Billy Muzamo of the Manama area a national hero.
“He is one of the stalwarts, who were in the Zipra High Command,” said Cde Ndlovu.
This comes after ZANU PF Bulawayo Province, a fortnight ago, endorsed President Mnangagwa as the sole candidate in next year’s harmonised national elections and as the party’s First Secretary and President ahead of its 7th Congress in October.
The congress will be held at the Robert Mugabe Square in Harare from 26 to 29 October.
ZANU PF’s War Veterans League which elected Cde Headman Moyo as Deputy Secretary for the wing’s first national executive at its inaugural elective conference last week also endorsed President Mnangagwa as the party’s sole Presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.
In his remarks after the election, Cde Moyo said war veterans have endorsed President Mnangagwa as the party’s sole Presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections and would hit the ground running to mobilise for the ruling party.
“This inaugural conference was a resounding success. The coordination, unity, comradeship and spirit exhibited during the course of the conference was unparalleled. We thank the war veterans for endorsing His Excellency as the sole candidate for the 2023 harmonised elections,” he said.
Meanwhile, the move by war veterans to endorse Mnangagwa has been interpreted as a calculated move to frustrate Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who is strongly believed to be highly ambitious and gunning for the top job.
Mnangagwa is locked in a cut-throat battle with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga over the party’s unresolved leadership issue following the toppling of the late former president Robert Mugabe.
Inside sources said after Mnangagwa reneged on the deal with Chiwenga prior to the November 2017 military coup that ousted the late former president Robert Mugabe to serve only one term and allow his deputy to come in 2023, gloves are now off within the ruling party over unresolved leadership issues.
“The fallout within the party leadership is serious. We are heading for battle royale between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga ahead of congress,” a source said.
“That is how politics within Zanu PF and state institutions is currently shaping up. The unresolved leadership question can no longer be managed and swept under the carpet; it has got to be settled politically, and that means through congress.”
The source added: “When Mnangagwa took over, there was a clear understanding that he will not seek re-election in 2023. However, Chiwenga and others were shocked to see him telling the world in an interview in September 2018 during the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in New York that he would seek re-election in 2023. That was never agreed.”
After that, Mnangagwa and his allies moved a gear up and launched a campaign during the December 2018 Zanu PF conference at Mzingwane High School in Esigodini for him to serve two terms.
“At that time, it became clear Mnangagwa had broken ranks and reneged on the deal,” another source said.
— Herald/NewsHawks
