ZANU PF shoots down request to appoint Provincial Chairpersons

by | Nov 2, 2021 | Politics | 0 comments

 

Hosia Mviringi

When they say ‘Charity begins at home’ they simply mean that one has to lead by example, and that one must practice what they preach.

This principle was upheld again at the just ended ZANU PF Annual people’s Conference which was held in Bindura, Mashonaland Central Province.
The Party roundly rejected requests by some Provinces which had advocated for the Party to avoid elections for Provincial Chairpersons but instead have them appointed by the President.

“A proposal from delegates was made that Chairpersons for Provinces be appointed and this was rejected on the basis that there should be democracy and no imposition of candidates,” Zanu PF Acting Spokesperson Mike Bimha told the media at the end of the Conference.
Cde Bimha said the party is a democratic institution and therefore cannot forgo elections.

“People should have the freedom to choose the leaders they want. The Party has an obligation to come up with a criteria guiding these activities in the Party,” said Cde Bimha.

The President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, being a religious constitutionalist, had long rubbished such request at many other Party fora insisting that unless the Party Constitution has been amended there could never be such provisions that directly violate the supreme guiding statutes.

ZANU PF as the ruling and largest political party in the country is considered as pacesetter and role model for all other political parties and its actions have the effect of setting a precedence that can become problematic when it comes to enforcing same democratic tenets nationally.

Yielding to such pressure would have resultantly set ZANU PF on a slippery slope.

In the current set-up where every position is contested, the Party has a chance to field the most popular and astute candidate who can be dependable when it comes to issues of Party custodianship and effective membership mobilisation.

The Party suspended elections for Provincial Chairpersons to avoid division of attention and to facilitates smooth preparations for the just ended Party Annual People’s Conference.