Zapu Matabeleland South provincial chairperson Matthew
Sibanda told Southern Eye yesterday that Nkomo was not a card-carrying member
of the opposition party and, therefore, was ineligible to contest for the
presidency.
“Nkomo is not a Zapu member, we do not have him in our list
of party members. How is he going to contest?” he asked rhetorically.
“He is supposed to be a fully paid-up member of the party.
He is free to contest only if he joins the party from branch level, and if his
branch nominates him, then he can go ahead and contest.”
But Sibangilizwe, who was nominated by fellow villagers in
his home area, Kezi, denied the allegations, challenging his detractors to prove
their claims.
“Let people say what they want, I am not prepared to talk
now, but will talk in mid-April. What
if I had a party card long back? No one knows,” Nkomo said.
The opposition party plans to hold its elective congress on
April 30, the first since the death of its leader Dumiso Dabengwa in 2019.
Other members eyeing the Zapu presidency are Matthew
Bhubesi Sibanda, Strike Mkandla, Bernard Magugu and Mqondobanzi Magonya.
Isaac Mabuka, who has been
holding the post in an acting capacity, has ruled himself out of the
race. The secretary-general and chairperson’s posts are also up for grabs.
The party also wants the vice-presidency to be contested,
departing from its tradition whereby a president would appoint his/her deputy. Newsday
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