ZAPU targets MDC-M seats

Mutambaras MDC-M last Monday expelled three of its Members of Parliament (MPs) Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South); Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane East) and Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East) for disciplinary reasons. Alex Goosen, a member of the executive council was also expelled over the same charges.

The partys national disciplinary committee chairman Lyson Mlambo said Bhebhe, Mguni and Mpofu had ceased to be members of the House of Assembly, adding that the party would advise the Speaker of Parliament, Lovemore Moyo, to notify the President of the vacant seats to pave way for the by-elections.

ZAPU has been following with keen interest developments in the MDC-M party, and feels it is now time to enter the fray, ZAPU director of information Methuseli Moyo said in a statement last week.

ZAPU is excited by the prospect of a by-election for the House of Assembly for Nkayi South, Lupane East and Bulilima East, added ZAPU which as PF ZAPU fought together with ZANU PF a bitter 1970s guerrilla war to free Zimbabwe from colonial rule.

A presidential proclamation for a by-election, in terms of the Electoral Act, should be gazetted within 14 days after Parliament has notified the President of a vacancy arising.

The notification should be given immediately after the seat becomes vacant.

Speaker of Parliament Moyo was not available for comment on the holding of by-elections to fill the three vacant seats.

ZAPU traditional home-ground

However, the ZAPU spokesperson added: ZAPU is geared to enter the race in the three constituencies. Nkayi, Lupane and Bulilima are part of what we consider to be ZAPU’s traditional home-ground. We are very confident of winning.

But confusion reigns over the holding of by-elections to fill about seven parliamentary seats currently vacant with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) saying the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry should handle the polls, a charge the ministry denies arguing that the onus rests with ZEC.

By-elections are due in seven constituencies after the incumbents either took up higher positions in the Senate and House of Assembly or died.

The vacant House of Assembly constituencies are Gokwe-Gumunyu (left vacant after the death of a Zanu (PF) MP, Matobo North (which became vacant incumbent Lovemore Moyo was elected Speaker of Parliament), Guruve North (became vacant death of Zanu (PF) lawmaker) and Bindura North (vacant after death of Zanu (PF) legislator).

Vacant Senate seats are Chegutu (vacated by Edna Madzongwe on election as Senate President), Chiredzi (Titus Maluleke appointed provincial governor for Masvingo) and Gokwe South (Naison Machaya appointed provincial governor for Midlands).

It is the duty of ZEC to indicate through advertising that there are vacancies and if other parties show an interest then the by-elections will go ahead, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga said last week.

But Utoile Silaigwana, the ZEC chief elections officer noted that the the role of calling for by-elections lies with Parliament and they have to notify ZEC of the need to hold by-elections.

PF ZAPU and Zanu (PF) formed a government of national unity at independence in 1980 but soon fell out when then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe accused PF ZAPU leader Joshua Nkomo and his party of plotting an armed insurrection against him.

More than 20 000 innocent civilians from the Ndebele ethnic minority that mostly supported PF ZAPU are believed to have been killed in the early 1980s during a bloody counter-insurgency drive by the army ordered by Mugabe in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces where the Ndebeles live.

The killings by the armys North Korean trained 5th Brigade only stopped with the signing of the Unity Accord when Nkomo agreed to merge his party into ZANU PF while he took up the post of vice-president in government.

But PF ZAPU cadres broke away from Zanu (PF) last year saying they were tired of being abused by the Zanu (PF) leadership.