Former ZAPU members have accused the current party leadership of hiding behind the previous administration as an excuse to hide its failures to deliver on the party’s rebranding promises.
This criticism comes from former ZAPU Treasurer General, Future Msebele Zulu, who resigned in April this year but was cited by the party’s intelligence for having been involved in a meeting with other former members who were fired in November to overthrow party leader, Sibangilizwe Nkomo.
Five members were expelled for allegedly causing harm in ZAPU – Matthew Sibanda, Ernest Ndlovu, Mildred Mkandla, Akim Nkala, and Dr Strike Mkandla.
Dr Mkandla, however, questioned his expulsion from the party, arguing he was not among those who took the party to court and that the new administration led by Nkomo assumed he was forming a new party.
According to Zulu, the current administration is failing to keep its promises and is hiding behind the previous administration, claiming it is destabilising the party.
“We heard there was a report gathered by the party’s intelligence that I, Strike Mkandla, Enerst Ndlovu, Mrs. Mkandla, Eckim Nkala, and Matthew Sibanda attended one Saturday meeting in Njube (house number provided) to overthrow the ZAPU administration led by Sibangilizwe Nkomo,” he said but denied the claim in an interview with CITE.
“I have never attended any meeting which discussed the formation of a ZAPU breakaway party. Unfortunately, the ZAPU security team decided to create such allegations.”
Zulu stated that since he resigned from ZAPU, he has not attended any ZAPU-related meetings and is uninterested in the party’s factional battles.
“I once warned Sibangilizwe Nkomo that he has surrounded himself with unscrupulous characters with a nefarious agenda, who continue to peddle lies and tell him what he wants to hear,” he said.
“Right now. I’m currently involved in social development projects and voter registration programs. I’m not interested and not part of ZAPU factional battles. I wish not to be drawn into their ZAPU internal battles,” he said.
The former Treasurer General, who also served as a deputy secretary for International Relations, said the previous administration played its part to make ZAPU function and urged the new administration to do the same.
“We sacrificed a lot in ZAPU. I would advise the current leadership to do the same and stop blaming their failures on the past administration. Such behavior reminds us of the so-called Second Republic which blames everything on the First Republic of which they were part,” Zulu said.
“We drafted the documents they are now quoting and created structures they are leading, they should stop such innuendos and concentrate on leading the Party.”
Reached for comment, ZAPU National Spokesperson, Msongelwa Ndlovu said he will not “speak for the former Treasure General or former ZAPU members.”
“Why should we be bothered by the views of former members?” he said.
