Zanu PF chairman Simon Khaya-Moyo yesterday said the party will rule until donkeys grow horns, as he gathered several government ministers to address issues affecting Matabeleland that have given rise to sentiments that the region is marginalised.
Khaya-Moyo told a joint Zanu PF provincial council meeting for Matabeleland South, North and Bulawayo that the region was not benefitting from a lot of national projects and people were suffering.
However, the Senior Minister in President Robert Mugabe’s office said despite the challenges, Zanu PF’s stranglehold on power would not be threatened.
“We are going to rule for a very long time,” he said to wild cheers. “We will rule until donkeys grow horns.
“Come 2018, all seats in Matabeleland will be in Zanu PF hands. Let’s work to strengthen the party and that would be through showing respect among each other at all levels.”
Khaya Moyo said he would soon convene a meeting for the three Zanu PF provincial chairpersons and the Provincial Affairs ministers so that they can work together harmoniously.
This followed an impassioned plea by Chief Dingani Nelukoba of Hwange who revealed that there was chaos in the allocation of conservancies in Matabeleland North province.
He said he recently had an offer letter for a conservancy withdrawn after the animal sanctuary was allocated to a Harare-based company.
Khaya-Moyo appeared to be irked by the absence of Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs minister Cain Mathema at the forum held at Elangeni Training Centre in Bulawayo.
“It appears there is a serious gap here,” he said. “It’s not only Chief Nelukoba who is affected by this [confusion], it has affected a lot of people.
“May those recording minutes of this meeting take note of this and it will be taken up by Monday. If it is not solved, I will end up going there myself.
“These are the issues we have to address. You can’t go around saying I am a senior minister if you are not working. The Provincial Affairs minister is not here.
“I need to arrange a meeting with the provincial chairpersons and the Provincial Affairs ministers because we can’t work like that. The party is superior, you can’t go around boasting that I am a senior minister.”
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Eunice Sandi Moyo and her Matabeleland South counterpart Abedinico Ncube attended the meeting.
Other ministers who addressed the forum were Douglas Mombeshora (Lands and Resettlement), Obert Mpofu (Transport), Saviour Kasukuwere (Water and Climate) and Sithembiso Nyoni (Small and Medium Enterprises).
In the past senior Zanu PF leaders from the region were accused of paying lip service to issues affecting Matabeleland. Southern Eye
