Losing Zanu-PF candidates vow to campaign for party
ZANU-PF losing candidates and others who were disqualified from contesting in the party’s primary elections have committed to campaigning for the party in the forthcoming elections.
The party held its primary elections last week with results shocking some big wigs and incumbent MPs who lost the polls.
Prior to the internal polls Zanu-PF national commissar Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Retired) said losing candidates would be part of the winning candidates’ campaign teams.
Losing and disqualified candidates who spoke to The Chronicle yesterday said they have accepted their fate and have vowed to assist the party win national elections.
Pumula constituency’s Cde Godfrey Malaba said he was ready to serve Zanu-PF despite being disqualified from contesting in the primary elections.
Cde Malaba’s constituency was won by Zanu-PF Youth League provincial chairman Cde Khumbulani Mpofu.
“We are always ready to serve the party and anyway it’s a norm (we campaign for the party). However, the party has not approached me to be part of the campaign team. If they approach me I will assist where I can,” said Cde Malaba.
He called on the party to improve on its information dissemination, saying lack of clear communication left some of them in the dark as to why they were disqualified.
Nkulumane constituency MP Cde Killian Sibanda said although he was disappointed after being disqualified to contest in primary elections, he will not stop to fulfil its programmes.
“If I’m invited to be part of the campaign team, I will accept the call. But I haven’t been roped in to the campaign team. Although I was disappointed after I was disqualified I’m not bitter as I was serving people not my family,” said Cde Sibanda.
Insiza South MP Cde Malachi Nkomo said the party’s programmes come first pledging his dedication to Zanu-PF.
Cde Nkomo lost the party’s primary election to Cde Spare Sithole.
“Party programmes are party programmes and have to be followed all the times. But we are still waiting as all the candidates are yet to be announced,” said Cde Nkomo. — @nqotshili
2 foreign investors contracted to operate Ekusileni Hospital
TWO foreign investors have made the final list of companies that will be contracted to open and operate Ekusileni Hospital in Bulawayo. Ekusileni was built in 2001. It was a specialist hospital which operated for a few months and was shut down after it was discovered that the acquired equipment, worth millions of dollars, was obsolete.
In an interview yesterday Dr Nyasha Masuka, who chairs a committee which was set up to ensure the hospital reopens, said things were in place.
“We conducted interviews on March 19 where all four task team committee members were panellists. We also had 20 observers which include Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa, Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Mrs Angeline Masuku and the deputy chief secretary in the office of the president Mr Ray Ndhlukula and other clinical specialists,” said Dr Masuka.
He said the interview had people from different departments.
“We interviewed prospective investors using our criteria as this was not a tender process but an assessment process to identify serious investors,” he said.
Dr Masuka added that the two finalists had not been made public though they are both from outside Zimbabwe. “We encouraged them to prioritise partnering local radiology, pharmacy departments and laboratories. One of the important issues that came up is that they need to do a feasibility study to ascertain what the market is like,” he said.
According to Dr Masuka, the whole process of doing the study and bringing in equipment and specialists may last up to six months or a year.
Meanwhile, Dr Masuka who was the Matabeleland North provincial medical director has been appointed as the new chief executive officer for Harare Central Hospital. — @thamamoe