ZAPU Expels Five Senior Members
The opposition ZAPU has expelled five senior members who took to court the party president, Sibangilizwe Nkomo, for allegedly failing to adhere to the party’s constitution and procedures.
The senior party members challenged Nkomo’s candidature at the Bulawayo High Court ahead of the party’s elective congress last year in October.
They later withdrew the court application after holding talks with Nkomo, but then decided to revive it two months ago.
The senior members were now seeking an order overturning the 2020 congress where Nkomo was elected.
ZAPU spokesperson Msongelwa Ndlovu identified the sacked members as Strike Mkandla , Matthew Sibanda, Ernest Ndlovu, Mildred Mkandla and Akim Nkala. Said Ndlovu:
It is with regret to announce to ZAPU members, supporters and sympathisers that after 12 months of attempting to unite the party after our congress, the following individuals have expelled themselves from the union.
Messars Strike Mkandla, Matthew Sibanda , Ernest Ndlovu, Mildred Mkandla and Akim Nkala have individually and collectively chosen a path designed to harm ZAPU in collaboration with those invested in this objective for many years now.
ZAPU has noted and accepted their decision and wishes them well in their future endeavors.
We call on our members to treat them with the same treatment reserved for all our political opponents.
Mkandla is the party’s former secretary -general while Sibanda is the party’s former Matebeleland South Province chairperson, while Mildred is the party‘s former chairperson for the women’s assembly.
Ndlovu pleaded with the general party membership to avoid cooperating with the expelled members for the unity of the party. He said:
We implore our members to avoid cooperating with them as doing so only helps to advance their objective to divide and eventually destroy the party.
Let us remain vigilant and focused on the ultimate objective of delivering our people from the yokes of ZANU PF intolerance, corruption, and incompetence.
ZAPU will do whatever it takes to work with like-minded people and organisations to put to an end the curse of ZANU PF on our people.
