The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa and Sione Amidu, Sunday News Correspondent
TOP of Zanu-PF Bulawayo Province and Matabeleland South Women’s League resolutions passed yesterday was the endorsement of President Mnangagwa as the party’s candidate for the 2023 Presidential elections during provincial conferences held in Bulawayo and Gwanda.
Represented by delegates from the five districts that constitute the revolutionary party’s structures in the Bulawayo province, the Women’s League unanimously voted to endorse the President for a second term while also calling on Government to rein in the rising cost of basic commodities in the country in their 13-point resolutions.
The conference also resolved to petition the Central Government to urgently revisit the 40 kilometre radius of the province given that there is virtually no land available to the province.
They also resolved to have the mandatory sentence for men who physically, emotionally, mentally and verbally abuse women.
The delegates further resolved that money changers be removed from the streets, extra lessons be banned as they disadvantaged under-privileged children and that social welfare grants to the elderly and orphans be revived.
The Bulawayo Province Women’s League also noted that there is a need for a third of the legislature and local authority seats in the province be set aside for women.
There were also calls for more empowerment projects for women in order to assist the party in attracting new members, basic education must be affordable with textbooks made available for pupils in all schools.
The resolutions were made after thematic meetings held in the early part of the conference before elections were held for to nominate four candidates for the national Women’s League executive conference to be held from June 23 to 26 in Harare, ahead of the party’s elective congress set for October.
Area 5’s veteran politician, Cde Angeline Masuku was elected unopposed from her district while former Member of Parliament for Njube-Lobengula, Cde Maidei Mpala garnered 13 votes to Cde Tambudzai Chinyenye’s five votes for Area 3’s mandate.
In Area 4, Cde Chipo Chigede beat Cde Esnate Moyo 11 to five while in Area 2, Cde Rosie Jiriengwa beat Cde Tariroyashe Ndlovu 9-4 and in Area 1 Cde Rebecca Munjere prevailed after she got 10 votes to pip Cdes Thabitha Mguni, Josephine Danda and Junior Ndlovu.
After the delegates voted for their preferred candidates from the individual districts, they went into the second round of the plebiscite to vote for the four candidates that will represent them in the national executive.
In this round, Cde Masuku was again unopposed as was Cde Mpala while Cde Munjere got 58 votes to Cde Jiriengwa’s 48 for the third seat.
Cde Jiriengwa then faced Cde Chigede and won this round 81 to 45 to round off the province’s four nominees for the national executive.
Matabeleland South province elected four provincial members who will represent the province at the national executive elections.
The elections were won by Cdes Cecilia Ndobiwa Bhebhe of Gwanda constituency, Nkululeko Nleya of Bulilima constituency, Sipho Moyo of Matobo and Sphilisiwe Nhawira of Mangwe constituency.
The contestants were from seven districts which include Beitbridge, Gwanda, uMzingwane, lnsiza, Bulilima, Mangwe and Matobo.
Cde Edgar Moyo
Speaking while officiating at the elections in Gwanda, that were attended by nearly 300 members from the seven districts, Cde Edgar Moyo, the secretary for administration in the province, standing in for the provincial chairman Cde Mangaliso Ndlovu, said women should work in harmony to ensure success of the party’s programmes.
