Cde Joram Gumbo
Patrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
CDE Joram Gumbo has been appointed as Zanu-PF acting Midlands provincial chairperson for the next three months as the party works to restore unity in the province.
His appointment came as warring provincial leaders were ordered to work together or face expulsion from the revolutionary party.
After meeting the provincial leadership yesterday, Zanu-PF political commissar, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, said Cde Gumbo was taking over on an interim basis.
Cde Tapiwa Matangaidze who was the acting provincial chairperson reverts to his position as provincial secretary for administration, while Cde Daniel Mackenzie Ncube remains the deputy chairperson.
Cde Kasukuwere said the new structure had the Politburo’s blessings.
“For the next three months, Cde Gumbo will lead the province on an interim basis. Then the other structures will remain as they were (before the suspension of chairman Cde Kizito Chivamba),” said Cde Kasukuwere soon after meeting both factions that had been at each other’s throats for some time.
He said after three months, they expected the province to have proper structures and work towards mass mobilisation as the party prepares for the 2018 elections.
Cde Kasukuwere said suspended provincial members remain suspended pending verdicts from the national disciplinary committee.
He warned warring cadres against using the party to score personal goals.
Chairing his first meeting yesterday, Cde Gumbo who is also Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister said he was not going to entertain rogue elements bent on causing mayhem in the province.
Cde Gumbo said those who defy the Politburo’s order to work together will be fired from the party.
“I’m here because Chivamba’s matter hasn’t been resolved by the national disciplinary committee,” he said.
Cde Gumbo invited Cdes Ncube and Matangaidze to the podium and encouraged them to start working together and implement party programmes. He also discouraged party members from going to report party matters to the Press.
“So I’ll be working with Ncube as the vice chairperson and Matangaidze as the provincial secretary for administration. Other members of the executive will assume the positions they held before the suspension of Cde Chivamba,” he said.