The party also wants the vice-presidency to be opened up
for contestation, departing from its tradition whereby a president would
appoint his/her deputy.
The Zapu congress is set for April 30.
Sources said Sibangilizwe’s name was forwarded to the
party’s leadership by his Kezi branch in Matabeleland South province.
“His name has been submitted by his district. They want him
to lead the party and if the nomination is accepted, he will be one of the
contestants for the presidency,” a Zapu official said.
The developments came after the party’s national people’s
council sat on March 11, where it proposed that the people’s congress dates be
shifted from April 15 to 30.
Party sources told Southern Eye that there were calls for
the vice-president’s position to be contested despite the fact that the post
has always been by appointment.
“There has been a norm that the VP post is by appointment
and usually, it is given to members from Mashonaland provinces. But we feel
that this is undemocratic, people should chose their leaders and there must be
a change of approach on this because the way it has been all along done was
tribal and discriminatory, so we lobby that this time, it must be contested for
the first time,” said a party member who preferred not to be named.
Zipra Veterans Trust spokesperson Baster Magwizi is tipped
for the vice-presidency, although other party members prefer the party’s
spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa.
However, Zapu director of marketing and communications
Patrick Ndlovu yesterday said the VP post would be filled through appointment,
adding that positions that were up for grabs were the presidency,
secretary-general and chairperson only.
“The VP post is by appointment. That is a policy position.
Any change to that requires a constitutional amendment. So far no amendments to
that effect have been proposed,” Ndlovu said.
“So there is no contest for VP.”
Ndlovu said the candidates were currently playing their
cards close to their chests and names of the contestants would be unveiled as
and when candidates openly declare their candidature.
“On the SG [secretary-general] position, I believe the
eventual successful presidential candidate will determine the direction of its
contest,” Ndlovu said.
“There are certain fundamentals that have been set by
contesting political thoughts in this elective congress. In the presidential
race so far Matthew Bhubesi Sibanda, Bernard Magugu and Strike Mkandla have
come out in the open to contest. Sibangilizwe Nkomo’s name has come up from his
branch in Kezi. Another dark horse is Mqondobanzi Magonya from the United
Kingdom.”
Efforts to contact Nkomo were fruitless as he was not
reachable on his mobile phone.
On March 11, the party’s NPC deliberated on the recommendations
from the presidency and the national executive committee to extend and shift
the dates of both provincial conferences and the people’s congress.
This was necessitated by delays in completing the
provincial conferences owing to COVID-19 lockdowns and safety regulations that
were imposed by the government.
It was recommended that a shift in dates would allow
adequate time for the completion of the processes.
Maphosa said after deliberations, the NPC resolved that the
provincial conferences deadline be moved to March 31.
“The people’s congress dates were shifted from April 15 to
April 30, the venue remains unchanged at Bulawayo Amphitheatre and for the
congress preparations as undertaken by the congress planning committee will
continue, but adapting to the slight changes,” Maphosa said. Newsday
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