Dabengwa re-elected ZAPU president, promises to quit in 2020

By Tatenda Dewa | Harare Bureau |

The opposition Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) party held a long awaited congress between Wednesday and Saturday last week and re-elected Dumiso Dabengwa party leader.

The congress is the second elective summit since 2008 when ZAPU was revived, with the first one having been held in 2010 while the recent one was postponed from August 2015 due to financial constraints.

Dabengwa, in accepting the position at the close of the congress, thanked party supporters for their continued faith in him, but announced that he would exit active politics in 2020 when the next congress is held.

In contrast, his former ally in Zanu PF, President Robert Mugabe, has insisted on re-contesting the 2018 presidential election, at 94 and having held power since 1980.

Dabengwa quit Zanu PF in 2008 out of frustration over Mugabe’s continued hold on power and subsequently re-launched ZAPU which had merged with the ruling party in December 1987 through a shaky unity pact.

He will turn 80 in 2019 and feels he must give way to newer blood.

“My wish is to retire from active politics in 2020. As you know, I will be beyond 80 then and I feel it is prudent for me to give space to a younger and more energetic leadership. This must be the culture, not only in ZAPU, but the broader Zimbabwean political theatre,” said Dabengwa.

He added that, barring any dramatic developments, he would not contest the presidential poll in 2018, preferring a separate party candidate.

The current ZAPU policy is to have a presidential candidate other than the party president to allow for a recall in the event the former fails to perform to expectation.

“The younger generation must take charge and ownership of the party starting now as a way of ensuring continuity into the future,” said Dabengwa.

Most of the office holders that were either appointed or elected into the new leadership at the congress that attracted some 900 delegates are below 55.

A few, notably Dabengwa and Strike Mkandla, the new secretary general, are above 70.

Only the top five positions in ZAPU, namely the president, vice president, national chair, secretary general and treasurer general are elective, while the rest of the national executive committee is appointed by the party leader.

Laura Makuzva is now Dabengwa’s deputy while Mjobisa Noko, the former secretary for information, now deputises Mkandla.

Ralph Mguni, who was reportedly interested in running against dabengwa, lost his position as secretary general.

Isaac Mabuka was elected national chairperson in the poll that took place on Friday but whose results were on announced on Saturday while Jacob Dube was voted in as the treasurer general.

Derek Katsenga wil be in charge of mobilisation as the national organising secretary and will be deputised by Ndodana Moyo and Orchard Nyathi and the new national chairperson of the party council of elders is William Madziva.

“The party (ZAPU) has deliberately made it a point to bring regional balance to the institution. In that regard, in all top positions, the head and his or her deputy come from both the southern and northern region,” said a senior ZAPU member who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The ZIPRA War Veterans Association that broke away from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) was at congress formally integrated into ZAPU as an affiliate welfare organisation. Nehanda Radio