The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu and Austin Nyathi, Sunday News Reporters
NEWLY elected Zanu-PF chairman for Bulawayo Cde Jabulani Sibanda has called on the party’s provincial leadership to be ready to deliver hinting that he was alert to the task ahead of him and was prepared to discharge it with vigour and undiluted attention.
He urged party members to reorganise themselves and be dutiful in order to develop a strong party that would win the forthcoming elections.
Cde Sibanda who came up tops in the recent provincial elections said there was a need to bring back discipline in the party and warned that members found using the name of the party for selfish and corrupt means would be dealt with.
He was speaking at a roundup meeting of the recently held provincial elections at the party’s provincial headquarters, Davies Hall yesterday.
“This is a brand-new executive with a task that is inherited from those that fought for our freedom in the 1800s. We fought a bitter struggle for independence to get a constitution that governs us as a people so that we are not governed by the opinions of others. That is why maybe instead of a CV, I was nominated. I believe that to nominate you, they (party members) must say, among us we think you can take that position,” he said.
Added Cde Sibanda; “I did so because I respect the universal suffrage where millions of our people from 1800s to 1900s perished fighting for that right to vote. Now we have that right to vote. We may have some disturbances but we all know that we are one Zimbabwe, one nation.
I believe so much that as a nation we can move forward, as a nation we can unite, as a nation we can achieve so many things that we could not achieve yesterday. Independence was not the final journey of our movement. It was a step that we gained for more work to be done to upgrade our country’s status as a peaceful, developed and industrious nation in the world.”
Cde Sibanda said in order to attain peace, development and industrialisation there was a need for people to accommodate one another.
“We have to look at specialties, who specialises in what then we put them in a position. There are no positions in the party but we are a party of duty, we must find ourselves dutiful, organised to achieve best results for our revolution,” he said.
The chairman also highlighted the need to ward off rogue elements within Zanu-PF.
“When the party is so big, it gets infiltrated by people who want to use the name of the party to carry out their unconstitutional activities. In our party there are structures and we need people to be elected, you can’t stand in front of the party and lead when they do not know who you are and they did not elect you.
“The power is with the people,” he said.
Cde Sibanda said it was time party members unite for the betterment of the nation.
“Let us unite, the task ahead is big. Our strength must be with the masses to win a free and fair election and we can only win a free and fair election if we work hard to organise the party. There will be no need for other things,” he said.
Cde Sibanda said there is a need to recruit more people into the party since there are new suburbs in Bulawayo that have been built over the years.
“We need to account for all the people in the various suburbs and get more members to join. The party positions you hold today bring everyone to accept the call and come and mobilise the organisation peacefully,” he said.
He said generational differences mentioned by the youth he has taken note of but reiterated that the party was going to recognise people by their ability to work.
He said he would not tolerate people who do not walk the talk saying the party wanted to work with people in an orderly fashion that had been designed.
“We accept anyone that wants to be a member of the party, after that we are going to restructure the organisation because we have suburbs where there are no structures and some that are too big, where you find more than 10 000 people but the members are few.
“A lot of our people want to work very little and get high positions, that will be the other way round now, people will work harder for very small meaningful positions. The days of connections are over, the time is up, those that use money will not be tolerated,” he said.
Cde Rejoice Sibanda is leading the Women’s League while Cde Freedom Murechu takes over as the provincial Youth Chairman.
In Matabeleland North where Cde Douglas Mahiya was presiding as head of delegation for the elections, Cde Richard Moyo retained his seat as the Provincial Chairman. Cde Moyo said the elections for other positions went smoothly and was moving with a winning team.
“All went well in the elections that we had today for the deputies. The processes went well, where the Women’s League, Youth and Main wing were electing their teams. The executive that was elected is an executive that is wanted by the people and we are looking at working together moving forward as a team and win the by-elections that are ahead of us. We are also mobilising for President Mnangagwa for 2023,” he said.
In Matabeleland South Cde Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu who won the chairmanship race said yesterday elections for other positions went well and said the team had hit the ground running.
“The PCC went well; we had a fruitful meeting and we have a fully constituted Provincial Executive for Matabeleland South Province. I must say I am quite excited that a blend of established veterans who were already there in the province and also new blood have also come in.
“We have people who are coming into the province for the first time. I must say we have a very strong executive, people that I believe will be up for the task as we are looking forward to the by-elections and elections in 2023. A lot of work lies ahead and we are hitting the ground running and we start work this week,” he said.
Cde Ndlovu said he was also happy with the Women’s League and Youth League, who he said know how their work is cut out.
He commended the head of delegation, Cde David Parirenyatwa who he said handled the election process in a transparent and fair manner where people expressed themselves well.
Cde Ndlovu is deputised by Cde Albert Ngulube, the Member of Parliament for Beitbridge East, Cde Moses Langa takes over as Youth Chairman while Cde Sandisiwe Nleya is the Women’s League chairperson.
Cde Washington Nkomo, who was the provincial youth chairperson was elected as Provincial Political Commissar, the transport portfolio went to Cde Madodana Sibanda, the Member of Parliament for Gwanda North while Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education as well as legislator for Matobo North, Cde Edgar Moyo is the Secretary for Administration.
