ZANU PF members who lost in primary elections but choose to contest as independent candidates in the 23 August harmonised elections will be expelled from the party with no way back.
This was one of the resolutions made at the just-ended ZANU PF five-day induction workshop held in Gweru. The workshop was closed to the media.
NewsDay quoted ZANU PF national political commissar Mike Bimha as saying losing candidates should wait for the next primaries in five years’ time. He said:
So far I don’t know any candidate who will contest as an independent candidate, but if you contest as an independent candidate, you would have automatically expelled yourself from the party.
We have instances where years later those independent candidates would apply to be re-admitted to the party because it is cold out there but it will be a matter for a disciplinary hearing.
For those candidates who lost in the primary elections, they should wait for another election and President Emmerson Mnangagwa said there is no winner and there is no loser in the party and when the national chairperson (Oppah) Muchinguri addressed the matter, I was in Masvingo.
An unnamed official who attended the meeting told NewsDay that Muchinguri warned that all ZANU PF members who will contest as independent candidates will have automatically expelled themselves from the party. She said:
During the workshop, our national chairperson Muchinguri said all those members who want to contest as independent candidates will be expelled from the party for good.
She noted that some party members have been taking advantage (of the fact) that the party would forgive them later, but this time she said they will not tolerate party members who contest as independent candidates.
ZANU PF is concerned that the independent candidates would split the vote in some constituencies and give the opposition an advantage.
In the past, ZANU PF members who contested as independents would be suspended from the party for at least five years.
Several senior ZANU PF officials lost in the primary elections held in March this year which were characterised by allegations of vote rigging and violence.
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