Jabulani Nkomo, the son of the late Vice-President John Landa Nkomo, has been excluded from the upcoming ZANU PF annual conference in Bulawayo after his name was removed from the accreditation list for Matabeleland North Province.
While delegates have been accredited by ZANU PF provincial structures, the process has been marred by factional disputes.
In a statement to NewsDay, Nkomo expressed his surprise, stating that he was informed his name was missing from the accreditation list, despite having been included previously. He said:
“My name was confirmed from the Tsholotsho district to our Lupane provincial office for the party’s upcoming conference as an elected provincial member. However, it has mysteriously disappeared along the way. I’ve filed a complaint with the relevant offices and cannot comment further.”
Sources within ZANU PF allege that provincial chairperson Richard Moyo conspired with associates to remove Nkomo’s name just before the conference.
Nkomo was reportedly replaced by Moyo’s allies, including former Senator Believe Gaule, who is not part of the current provincial structure. Gaule has denied these claims and directed inquiries to Moyo.
Moyo, who also serves as the Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, stated:
“It is not my responsibility to accredit delegates, and I was not involved in creating the list. If such a situation arose, there must be a reason for the removal.”
According to NewsDay, tensions within the party began in May when Nkomo was appointed to the provincial coordinating committee after the establishment of a new position for provincial deputy member for local government. During a meeting to co-opt a new member, both Nkomo and Gaule were nominated, leading to an election. Reports suggest that Gaule withdrew from the election, but some influential party members attempted to replace Nkomo with him.
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