Zanu PF bigwigs walk out

Politics
SENIOR Zanu PF leaders in Bulawayo reportedly snubbed their party’s national commissar Webster Shamu after he arrived late for a scheduled meeting

SENIOR Zanu PF leaders in Bulawayo reportedly snubbed their party’s national commissar Webster Shamu on Saturday after he arrived late for a scheduled meeting with the provincial leadership.

NDUDUZO TSHUMA STAFF REPORTER

Shamu — who is on a tour of the provinces — was expected to meet Zanu PF leaders in Bulawayo at 2pm from another meeting in Matabeleland North, but could not make it on time.

According to party insiders, a message was sent around 3pm informing them that Shamu had been delayed and the meeting had been rescheduled for 4pm, but most members of the provincial executive would have none of it.

“The central committee members and most of the politburo members left Davies Hall (the party’s provincial headquarters) complaining that they could not wait any longer.

“They accused Shamu of disrespecting them and left,” a party insider told Southern Eye.

“They had come for the meeting at 2pm, but Shamu sent a message that he was still in Lupane at 3pm and suggested that the meeting be postponed to 4pm.

“This didn’t go down well with senior party members. Some openly voiced their disgruntlement saying they could not be made to wait like little children and left.”

The sources said when Shamu finally arrived, he only found the provincial chairperson Callistus Ndlovu, provincial political head Sikhanyiso Ndlovu and a few other party officials.

“The meeting could not be convened because most of the senior party members had gone,” the source said.

It is not clear when the meeting will be held, but provincial chairperson Ndlovu said party leaders did not snub Shamu, blaming the postponement to a communication breakdown.

“The meeting was supposed to be at 2pm, but Shamu then sent a message that we postpone the meeting to 4pm. The person given the message, whom we don’t know, delayed relaying it (to us),” the Zanu PF provincial chairman said. “By the time that message got to us, it was close to 4pm and some people had gone.”

Shamu addressed the Matabeleland South provincial structures yesterday.

According to reports, Shamu told the party’s Matabeleland North leadership that Zanu PF would complete its digitalisation drive that would see the production of electronic party cards to ensure transparency within structures by year-end.

The digitalisation system was introduced after Zanu PF dissolved its district co-ordinating committees countrywide as the politburo felt some senior party leaders were abusing those structures to further their political ambitions.