Sixteen ZANU PF members have been suspended for five years for supporting independent candidates in their constituencies during the 2023 harmonised elections.
The majority of the suspended members—15 in total—are from ZANU PF’s Masvingo province, with the 16th member from Manicaland.
The suspensions were outlined in the Central Committee report presented by ZANU PF First Secretary and President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, at the 21st ZANU PF National People’s Conference held last month in Bulawayo.
The suspended members from Masvingo include: Gracious Mapurisa, Jainos Mudonhi, Blessing Hwititi, Wilson Hwafa, Rebecca Matanga, Wellington Hove, Josiel Gumbo, Tavaona Dube, Chamunorwa Ndlela, Simbarashe Pen, Nomsa Masaga, Godknows Moyo, Antalia Ngwenya, Silandekani Khalamesi, and Hlamulo. The member from Manicaland is Batsirai Pemheni.
Some of the suspended members had contested as independent candidates in the National Assembly and local authority elections.
Former ZANU PF members who ran as independents but were not elected include: Thomas Munjoma (Mutare West), Zivanai Peter Musanhu (Mt Darwin West), Eunice Mangwende (Murewa North), George Vhengere (Gutu East), Tafadzwa Shumba (Mwenezi West), Jeremiah Ndlukuwani (Gokwe Chireya), and Siphathisiwe Mathema (Nkayi North).
Their decision to stand as independents resulted in their expulsion from ZANU PF, although none of them were successful in securing a seat in the election.
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ZANU PF, a political party in Zimbabwe, has suspended 16 members for five years because they supported other people, not from ZANU PF, in the 2023 elections. Most of the suspended members are from Masvingo province, with one from Manicaland. The suspensions were decided by the party's leaders. Some of the suspended members tried to run as independent candidates in the elections but they were not successful. This made them lose their membership in ZANU PF.

ZANU PF Suspends 16 Members For Five Years

Masvingo City Mayor Councillor Collen Maboke filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the Masvingo Urban National Assembly seat after he was snubbed by the Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC).
<a href="https://tellzim.com/maboke-goes-solo-for-masvingo-urban-parliamentary-seat/">TellZim News</a> reported that Maboke (41), was disqualified during the early stages of CCC’s candidate selection process.
In 2018, Maboke fell out with CCC leader Nelson Chamisa after he defied the then MDC-Alliance party order to support Godfrey Kurauone as the council mayor.
Maboke went on to contest the position and won with seven votes against Kurauone’s three.
He was not recalled by MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora which resulted in many concluding that he was loyal to Mwonzora, and not to Chamisa.
Addressing a press conference at his offices in town hours after filling his nomination papers, Maboke said:
<blockquote>
I did not receive any formal communication from the party advising me why I was disqualified and even the way forward.
I then had to go back to the people who advised me to stand as an independent candidate and they have promised to stand with me as an independent candidate for the Masvingo Urban seat…
CCC has no structures or constitution so there was nowhere to appeal my case. I then had to appeal to people who voted for me and nominated me who assured me that they will support me.
</blockquote>
Maboke said the reason why he was not recalled by Mwonzora when the latter recalled four Masvingo urban councillors was that he had a cordial relationship with the MDC-T leader. He said:
<blockquote>
After I graduated from University Douglas Mwonzara was my first employer. I worked for him for five years before we parted ways without any problems and started my law firm.
We had a good working relationship with him so maybe that is the reason why I was not recalled by him.
</blockquote>
He said he was not rallying behind any presidential candidate and will not tell his supporters which Presidential candidate to vote for, adding his loyalty was with CCC, not MDC.
Maboke will battle it out with his deputy Wellington Mahwende of ZANU PF, Boniface Mazarire of MDC-T, Smart Muneri Muneri of UZA.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

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