Back to Index

Zanu PF shuts out aspiring candidates
Kholwani Nyathi, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
February 3, 2008

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/viewinfo.cfm?linkid=11&id=8261&siteid=1

Zanu PF officials in Matabeleland North allegedly tried to shut out aspiring candidates from rival factions from the ongoing primary elections by hiding their curriculum vitaes, (CV).

A candidate alleged to have benefited from this was the Minister of Industry and International Trade, Obert Mpofu of Umguza constituency.

A fortnight ago, Mpofu was declared the unopposed Zanu PF candidate for his old constituency.

But it has emerged that Mark Mzula Mbayiwa, a retired army major and Zipra ex-combatant has challenged that decision, accusing Mpofu of "masterminding the disappearance" of his application.

He has appealed to the commissariat to review the case, described by party insiders as "the culmination of factional fighting".

Mbayiwa is reportedly being supported by the former PF Zapu old guard as part of their turf war with Mpofu, allegedly a member of a faction linked to Solomon Mujuru, husband of Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

In a letter addressed to Zanu PF national commissar, Elliot Manyika, Mbayiwa claims he submitted his curriculum vitae to the party's Umguza district coordinating committee chairman on 7 January.

But he said he was "shocked to learn a week later" that Mpofu had been chosen unopposed as the Umguza constituency candidate.

"I hereby launch a complaint that I submitted my CV to the DCC chairperson for Umguza who is housed at York House, which is owned by the current MP (Mpofu) on 7 January 2006," Mbayiwa said. "But when I went to Lupane for a meeting, I was told that my CV was not submitted. The only CV there was for the current MP."

He said "the grapevine has it that the DCC chairperson went around the constituency saying he would not send the CV to Lupane" because of his connection with Mpofu.

Dumisani Mpofu, the chief Agritex officer in Matabeleland North was also told that his CV was never considered for the Bubi parliamentary constituency because it had gone missing.

It is understood the CV has now been found but his case is yet to be determined by the provincial executive.

Mpofu was not available for comment yesterday as he was attending the African Union summit in Ethiopia.

Zanu PF Matabeleland North chairman, Headman Moyo could not comment on the matter as he was said to be attending a meeting to address problems that arose during the primaries.

But the Zanu Umguza DCC chairman, Zwelitsha Masuku denied they had thrown out Mbayiwa's CV, saying "it was not submitted according to party rules and procedures".

"He even admitted that he did not hand over the CV to me," Masuku said. "Instead he says he sent his wife who gave it to a certain woman at Pioneer House, but we have failed to identify that woman."

But a Zanu PF provincial member insisted "that there is a lot of corruption in this process" because of factionalism.

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP