THERE was drama when the name of the Matabeleland North governor and resident minister Sithokozile Mathuthu did not appear on the list of prospective candidates for primary elections.
Own Correspondent
As tensions rose further, a Hwange Colliery board member threatened to fire some Zanu PF youths from the company for pointing out glaring irregularities during a provincial co-ordinating committee meeting held in Lupane on Sunday.
As if that was not enough, Victoria Falls mayor Nkosilathi Jiyane was reported to have been disqualified, as he submitted his application papers late despite all provinces having been advised to continue to receive submissions deep into Sunday night.
However, it was later agreed that just like other contestants his papers be also sent to the Zanu PF national elections directorate for scrutiny before being presented to the party’s politiburo for approval today.
Trouble started when the Zanu PF Matabeleland North deputy provincial chairperson Reeds Dube announced the list from Hwange District of all contestants who had submitted their names to compete in the party’s primary elections slated for June 24 and Mathuthu’s name was nowhere to be found despite having submitted all the required paperwork. She is contesting for a senatorial position under the women quota with Grace Dube.
“All hell broke loose as she and other party supporters went ballistic and accused Reeds (Dube) and his team of deliberately omitting her name for no apparent reason,” a party official, who declined to be named, said.
“However, it was later explained to her that the omission was not deliberate, but it was a typing error.”
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More drama was to follow in the provincial co-ordinating council meeting when one delegate raised a point of order when he queried why Siphiwe Mapfuwa, a Hwange Colliery board member, was in the meeting when she was not in the party structures and contrary to party guidelines.
“There was commotion and total confusion as Mapfuwa threatened the delegate and other fellow youths who are employed by the colliery that she would use her powers as the company’s board member to ensure that they lost their jobs.
“This did not go down well with the deputy provincial chairperson who threatened to take up the matter with colliery management and also senior politicians from the province,” the source continued. But Mapfuwa yesterday laughed off at the allegations saying: “What does my terms of reference say? Tell them to give you the full story. I have no powers to fire anyone.”
Zanu PF provincial secretary for administration, Clifford Sibanda, yesterday denied that Mathuthu’s name had been omitted, but said there were two similar names, although the issue had been resolved. “There was no omission. The only issue is that her name was written twice, once as Thokozile and then as Sithokozile, but the issue was resolved,” he said.
“She was there to listen to her name being called out and it was mentioned.”
He said Jiyane’s application had not been blocked.
Efforts to get a comment from Dube were fruitless as he could not be reached on his phones.
