Dumiso Dabengwa re-elected to remain leader of Zapu

The elections were observed and directed by the partys interim national organising secretary and former Zanu PF provincial chairman, McCloud Tshawe. Over 150 of the partys branch, district and interim provincial leaders for South Africa converged at a Johannesburg hotel Saturday evening, where they elected their choice for Party President/National Chairman, Provincial representative in the National Executive Committee (NEC) and their 10 nominees for the National Council.

Interim national leader Dabengwa, apparently the partys choice for substantive leader, was elected unopposed by the delegates, but the biggest winner was embattled interim provincial leader Dubizizwe Joli, catapulted beyond the reach of his rival faction, when he was elected the provincial representative in the NEC. What could have made Joli the happiest man in the congress was that he beat one of his main rivals Larry Mbobo, by 87 votes to 65, to land that post.

The elevation of Joli could restore order in the crisis-torn province, as he will now liaise direct with both the provincial and national leaders on the affairs of the province, whose substantive provincial leaders will be elected after the partys national congress, to be held in Bulawayo later this month.

The party was at one stage thrown into near disarray, when other provincial leaders, including interim vice chairperson, Sibekithemba Njani, spokesperson Luke Sayi and Mbobo, suspended Joli under a cloud, revoking a stern action by the partys youth leaders, who responded by suspending the entire executive.

Order was finally restored when NEC member Thenjiwe Lesabe ordered the return of the entire executive to their duties.

Some people in the province who used to send wrong signals to the national executive that we were working on toppling Dabengwa, but I am glad that we proved them wrong today by unanimously endorsing him, said one party member.

After the elevation of Joli, who has the partys interests at heart, we hope that the party will grow in a better way as there will be no more basis for backbiting, as has been happening in the past. We however, would like to appeal to the national leadership to stop people from disregarding protocol to talk to the national chairman because this is what has been killing the party, with some people with ulterior motives abusing their easy access to Dabengwa to try and poison him.

Njani was on Saturday co-opted into the National Council alongside Mgidliza Mwelase, considered to be one of Jolis close lieutenants.

However, there were complaints from some of the delegates, with two of them complaining that they were elbowed out of the elections unfairly by other members riding on friendship. I am resigning from Zapu affairs immediately because there are some people who are interested in friendship other than the affairs of the party and I cannot continue to belong to such an organisation, fumed one of the aggrieved members.