Zanu PF lifts Langa, Ncube's suspension

Zanu PF lifts Langa, Ncube's suspension

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By Staff Reporter

ZANU PF on Tuesday averted a revolt in Matabeleland when it went back on an earlier decision to suspend two MPs and deputy ministers from the party, and barring them from taking part in the March parliamentary elections.

Gwanda South MP and deputy minister of Foreign Affairs Abednico Ncube and the Insiza MP and deputy minister of Transport and Communications Andrew Langa were suspended from the ruling party on Monday for their alleged role in the so-called "Tsholotsho Declaration".

The move sparked a volley of protests from Zanu PF activists in Matabeleland stunned by the suspension of two of the only three Zanu PF MPs in the two Matabeleland provinces.

Their suspension also attracted the interest of the controversial Information Minister Jonathan Moyo who has also been banned from contesting in Tsholotsho, apparently as punishment for organising the Tsholotsho indaba to allegedly plot a palace coup and block the nomination of a woman, Joyce Mujuru, for Vice President.

"As a result of John Nkomo’s (Zanu PF national chairman) selfserving approach to discipline, we are witnessing attempts to block committed and hard working people like Langa in Insiza and Ncube in Gwanda from contesting primary elections or from running for elections on Zanu PF tickets. What is going on? This is only happening in Matabeleland and not in other provinces across the country where senior leaders in the party have been more accommodating and understanding despite the existence of obvious political differences," blasted Moyo.

“Abednico Ncube is one of only two comrades in Zanu PF who won a parliamentary seat in 2000 in Matabeleland when all the others, including many who now see themselves as heroes, were tumbling down. Cde Andrew Langa had the guts and leadership to win back Insiza from MDC and has since then shown what can be done to bring development in Matabeleland as a Member of Parliament," he said.

After a meeting in Gwanda on Monday, a Zanu PF politburo member, Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu emerged to announce the two MPs has been suspended. Ndlovu, a former MP in Insiza, said the decision had been taken by the Matabeleland South provincial executive.

The State-run Chronicle newspaper said the meeting "nearly degenerated into a war of words". The paper said it also received calls from irate supporters of the two men.

By evening on Tuesday, Zanu PF buckled under pressure and the party's elections director Elliot Manyika announced the suspension of the two men had been overruled.

"We have looked at the merits and demerits of their case and their level of participation and decided that it did not warrant further suspension," Manyika said at a press conference.

Like Moyo in Tsholotsho, Langa has been behind several development projects in Insiza (Filabusi), using his influence as the deputy Minister of Transport and Communications to push telecoms companies to expand their networks to the district and also upgrading roads.

Most headmasters have been provided with free mobile phones and the rural electrification project speeded-up. Moyo has been on hand to donate tens of computers to schools in the province.
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