The ManicaPost
Nyore Madzianike Senior Reporter
MORE than 1 300 people who aspire to contest in the Zanu-PF primary elections in Manicaland have submitted their curriculum vitaes for vetting, which saw the provincial leadership submitting them to the national leadership for further management on Wednesday.
Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial chairman, Cde Mike Madiro (pictured above) said all profiles of aspiring candidates had been submitted to the ruling party’s national electoral committee and they were waiting for the announcement of the final list of those eligible to contest in the May 5 primary elections.
Cde Madiro dismissed word doing rounds among Zanu-PF members that some of the aspiring candidates had been disqualified at provincial level saying it was “mere bar talk from pessimists who did not know the revolutionary party’s process”.
“I have taken the profiles of those who are aspiring to take various positions during the primary elections to the national level for processing of their profiles. We have since taken all aspirants’ profiles and CVs to the electoral committee, which is led by our national political commissar. We have about 1 300 people who have submitted their CVs,” he said.
“We are now waiting for the decision of the party leadership on who does qualify and who does not so that we all prepare for the elections. I would like also to dismiss the notion by some party members who are not experienced in party processes who claim that there were some members who were disqualified by certain individuals who wanted to pursue their interests. They are only demonstrating their ignorance on the party’s regulations and guidelines. No submissions or any aspirant who submitted his/her CV was declined or disqualified at provincial level. All the profiles were taken to the national leadership,” he said.
Cde Madiro urged people not to follow some of the social media reports saying they were only falsehoods, which were being peddled by people who are ignorant of the revolutionary party’s principles and processes.
He said all the decisions pertaining to the aspirants contesting in the primary elections would be announced from the Zanu-PF headquarters.
Some aspirants raised concerns over the initial vetting process with complaints that those who were on the selection panels employed tactics aimed at protecting their interests and elbowed out those whom they felt were a threat to their candidacy.
Zanu-PF leadership in Manicaland is on record saying there should be no imposition of candidates and the constituents should select and elect a person with a following at grassroots level.
Said Cde Madiro: “If anyone claims in one way or the other that there is a candidate who was disqualified at provincial level that would be a fallacy or just bar talk. People should get assurance and believe in their leadership. We are aware that there are people whom are giving wrong signals through social media and I am assuring you that the decision will come from the national leadership.”
