New party fizzles out

tentions citing security concerns.
The political outfit, fronted by a group of civic leaders and political activists from Matabeleland and Midlands provinces, claimed it was representing the interests of the provinces which have remained largely undeveloped.
Ndebele-speaking people are the majority of the inhabitants of the region.
President Robert Mugabe, a Zezuru heads a cabinet dominated by ministers from his tribe, fuelling disgruntlement from politicians from other tribes.
Among a host of nagging problems in Matabeleland, water remains critically short and plans by the Zanu (PF) government to undertake the Zambezi Matabeleland Water project have not succeeded.
Former Zimbabwe Teachers Association Leader (ZIMTA) leader, Leonard Nkala, is the brains behind the party and announced last year that he had set up a 45-member executive committee, which was due to spearhead the launch of PUMA.
Former Zanu (PF) Bulawayo province spokesperson, Sikhumbuzo Ndiweni, was named as the party’s interim secretary general. PUMA also stated that it was also working on the establishment of external wings, one focusing on Southern Africa, and another on the rest of the world.
Ndiweni denied the party had collapsed.
“We are currently working on setting up our structures, but everything would be
complete on time for the official launch. Some of our members are drawn from the ruling party, as well as both factions of the MDC. The interest from the diaspora is also very overwhelming,” he said.
Source closed to the party said PUMA’s promoters felt that they could capitalise on the fact that people in the area still had fresh memories of an 80’s crack military operation code named Gukurahundi.
The operation conducted by the Zimbabwe’s North Korean trained Fifth Brigade, left an estimated 20,000 civilians dead as soldiers sniffed out a few dissidents who operated in the area.
Up to now survivors of the operation have not been compensated and this remains a major source of disgruntlement. Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) draws the bulwark of its support from this region. – Own correspondent