ZANU PF Expels 18 Members for Contesting as Independents in 2023 Elections
In a significant development, at least 18 former ZANU PF cadres have lost their membership to the revolutionary party. This decision came after they chose to stand as independent candidates in the National Assembly and local authority elections during the recently concluded August 2023 harmonized elections. The move has sent shockwaves throughout the political landscape of Zimbabwe.
The details of this expulsion were revealed in the Central Committee report, which was presented by President Mnangagwa just before the 20th ZANU PF National People’s Conference and subsequently adopted by the party.
The party’s National Chairman report, under the leadership of Cde Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who also serves as the chairperson of the ruling party’s National Disciplinary Committee, explained that the party had to invoke its constitution’s legal statutes to deal with members who openly disregarded its regulations.
According to the report, “During the 2023 harmonized general elections, some members contested as independent candidates in the national assembly and local authority categories. By doing so, the National Disciplinary Committee noted that the members had automatically expelled themselves from the party as stipulated in Article 3, Section 17 (2) as well as Article 550 (11) of the Party Constitution.”
The report further stated that the expelled members had failed to attend a conflict management meeting addressed by the National Chairman before nomination day. This meeting was designed to reconcile aggrieved members and dissuade them from running as independent candidates. The open defiance of the party’s constitution, rules, regulations, values, and ethos was deemed a serious breach, and the party felt it necessary to impose an appropriate deterrent sanction.
This action is expected to send a strong message to any potential offenders who may consider running as independent candidates in the future, urging them to reconsider their intentions.
Some of the prominent figures who have been expelled from ZANU PF after standing as National Assembly independent candidates include Mr. 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 Ms. Siphathisiwe Mathema (Nkayi North).
In addition to this major development, ZANU PF’s legal department reported that it was tasked with editorially cleaning up the party’s constitution, which was presented and adopted at the 7th National People’s Congress in October 2022. The new provisions included the establishment of diaspora structures, a council of elders, the Standing Committee of the Central Committee, and the codification of the party’s code of conduct and detailed disciplinary procedures.
Furthermore, the Education, Ideology, and Research department expressed concern over how some teachers’ unions have been involved in promoting a regime change agenda, purportedly funded by Western entities hostile to the country. They highlighted the financial divide that this illicit funding has created between union leaders and the teachers they represent, as negotiations with the government have not been conducted in good faith. In response to this, the department initiated ideological training for teachers to counter this trend.
The expulsion of 18 members and the party’s commitment to strengthening its constitution and addressing external influences highlight the internal dynamics and external pressures shaping Zimbabwe’s political landscape in the wake of the 2023 elections. This development will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the country’s political landscape in the near future.