The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka Sunday News Reporter
PREPARATIONS for the Zanu-PF women and youth leagues conferences set for Harare later this month have gathered momentum with the party’s provincial structures for the two leagues now electing candidates who will participate at the respective conferences.The Youth League Conference will be held at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) from 7 to 10 August, while the Women’s League Conference will be held at the same venue from 12 to 15 August.
In the run-up to both conferences, each of the country’s provinces is expected to come up with four candidates, for each of the two leagues (the Women and Youth Leagues), who will contest for executive positions at the respective conferences.
Zanu-PF spokesperson, Cde Rugare Gumbo, told Sunday News that the party’s Youth League in the country’s 10 provinces started electing party officials ahead of the conference, with the process expected to end today.
He said the Women’s League provincial structures in all the 10 provinces would undergo a similar process on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
“For the Youth League we are holding elections in each province this weekend, and each province is expected to choose four candidates who will represent them at their conference.
“The Women’s League will have their elections on 6 and 7 August in preparation for their conference which is set to run from 12 to 15 August,” said Cde Gumbo.
The Zanu-PF spokesperson said the party expected the two leagues to elect vibrant candidates at their respective conferences, who will work in preparation for the party’s December elective congress.
“After this we expect the two leagues to successfully hold their respective conferences. Our general expectation as a party is that the two leagues elect candidates who will push programmes for the party in preparation for the congress,” he said.
Matabeleland South held their provincial conference yesterday where Cdes Eveline Mpofu, Nkosinomusa Langa, Lesly Ncube and Fuluselo Muleya emerged as the four candidates who will represent the province at the national conference.
In Bulawayo province only two areas held primaries yesterday ahead of the province’s Youth League conference today, with candidates from three other areas going uncontested.
In Area 1, Cde Mpehlabayo Malinga, who is the son of former Bulawayo mayor Cde Joshua Malinga and husband to the Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Cde Tabeth Kanengoni Malinga, garnered 22 votes to beat Cde Fundisai Dewa who had four votes, while in Area 4 Cde Myra Ngozo beat Cde Khumbulani Dewa by 14 votes to 10.
The three unopposed were Cde Anna Makgoloa in Area 2, Cde Butholezwe Ngwenya in Area 3 and Cde Sibongile Sibanda in Area 5.
Bulawayo province youth chairperson Cde Khumbulani Mpofu said the five candidates would contest for the four slots today at the provincial conference to be held at Davis Hall.
“The programme will start at 9am with delegates registering and by 2pm we will be done with the election. We are looking at electing four candidates who will represent the province at the national conference,’’ he said.
Matabeleland North province will hold their provincial conference tomorrow at the party’s provincial headquarters in Lupane where the four candidates for the national conference will be elected.
The province’s youth chairperson, Cde Tamuka Nyoni, said all systems were set for the provincial conference with six candidates expected to contest for the four slots.
“We are going to have six candidates who will take part in the election. These six have been drawn from all the districts in the province. It is from these six that we are going to choose four candidates.
“As a province we would want to observe gender balance so we are going to have two males and two females making up our representatives. All is set for the election tomorrow (today) and we are expecting an organised process,” he said.
The Women and Youth League conferences will precede the party’s elective congress slated for December this year.
