Matabeleland falls for senate carrot as candidates register

By Lance Guma and Tichaona Sibanda
24 October 2005.

The rebellion within the opposition took a tribal dimension with reports that 15 unknown candidates in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South provinces submitted their names to contest the senate poll in defiance of party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Only the Chief Executive of the banned Daily News, Sam Sipepa Nkomo, who has lost several primary elections in the past, stood out amongst the aspirants.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, William Bango, said the pro-senate camp was struggling to find volunteers to contest the senate polls, and had been forced to settle for some lower level candidates. Many political heavyweights had quietly withdrawn from registering their names leaving their camp in disarray.

In Bulawayo province the following submitted their names; Thabiso Ndlovu (Magwegwe-Lobengula constituency), Sibangilizwe Msipa (Bulawayo-Makokoba), Rita Ndlovu (Bulawayo-Nkulumane), Fanuel Bayeye (Pumula-Luveve) and Greenfield Nyoni (Mpopoma-Pelandaba). Matabeleland North had Jacob Thabane (Bubi-Umguza), Jabulani Ndlovu (Hwange East), Hebert Sina Mpande (Binga), Dalumuzi Khumalo (Lupane-Nkayi) and Samuel Sipepa Nkomo registering.

In Matebeleland South province the pro-senate camp fielded candidates in all the 5 senate constituencies. In Beitbridge the candidate who submitted his papers was Alfred Magama Moyo, Readus Phlou filed his for the Gwanda constituency. Luto Tapela is the candidate for Bulilima/Mangwe and one Dingwana will stand in the Umzingwane/Matopos/Kezi constituency. Insiza constituency will be represented by Mkhandla.

Matabeleland provides 3 provinces out of the 12 that make up the MDC provincial party structure. The pro-senate camp led by Professor Welshman Ncube is accused of drumming up support along ethnic lines while insisting the region has to defend its political space from Zanu PF. Tsvangirai on the other hand argues the senate is just a trap by Robert Mugabe to create a warehouse for senior politicians within his party and through this patronage is seeking to consolidate his grip on power. The billions of dollars meant for funding the senate could be better spent on improving the salaries of civil servants.