The Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) says it is seized with engaging citizens in constituencies where by-elections will be held following the recall of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Members of Parliament and councillors.
Speaking on This Morning on Asakhe hosted by CITE, ZAPU spokesperson Msongelewa Ndlovu said the party currently has two divergent positions on the matter.
“One section of the membership is saying we should never allow ZANU PF a free lunch anywhere and anytime in the country,” Ndlovu said. “This section of our membership is saying they will bring about contestation by hook or crook, they will find us ready to contest them underwater, on the hill mountains and in the air.”
“This is the section of the party that says we must defend the rights of the people at any costs. But there is also a view that says if we allow ZANU PF to detect when and where to contest, we will possibly sanitize this madness. This section of the membership says we should act in solidarity with the people whose leaders they elected have been denied that leadership,” Ndlovu added.
He said the party has assigned teams to start engaging people in the affected constituencies.
“We are in the process of trying to narrow the differences and find one common resolution through which we will engage and speak to the people, but in the process we have assigned teams in the party to start engaging people in the affected constituencies and hear out what the people themselves think and what the people themselves want us do as political movement,” Ndlovu said.
“We want to engage people and avoid a situation where we only engage people through the ballot. Let’s give the affected people a chance to give us a signal and give us the direction which we must take as political leaders.”
Ndlovu said they believe that the engagement, which will start soon will give them the right signal as to how to engage “the monster that ZANU PF is.”
Meanwhile, Ndlovu said the party has fielded candidates in constituencies left vacant after the 23 August 2023 general elections.
“There are two sets of by-elections,” Ndlovu said. “There are by-elections that came as a result of residual leftovers from the 23 August harmonized general election. We have already fielded candidates and gone to the nomination courts for some of those by-elections, including one in Nkayi for council and the other one is Matabeleland North where we already have candidates.”
“What we are saying about the Sengezo Tshabangu by-election is that it is a matter that we need to deliberate on vigorously but make sure that whatever we do, we align our view with the views of the people. Whether we should give ZANU-PF a free lunch in Matabeleland and other regions or we ensure that we act in solidarity with the affected people and ensure that we render these so called by-elections a shame that they are,” Ndlovu said.
