ZIMBABWE- BULAWAYO - The Minister Without Portfolio Eliot Manyika and Zanu PF National Political Commissar died on Saturday in a road accident on his way to Bulawayo to monitor Zanu PF provincial elections to restructure the party ahead of the party's annual congress which opens Wednesday in Bindura.

 

Early reports on Saturday said the minister, who was also Bindura Member of Parliament, had earlier been admitted to the private Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo where he later died.

 

The party's Bulawayo Province was rocked with problems.

 

 

Last month the party chairperson in the city, Macleod Tshawe, said he would not seek re-election when the polls take place at Zanu PF's provincial headquarters. 

 

Tshawe's pullout came at a time when six members of his executive left Zanu PF to join the revived PF Zapu.

The six include secretary for information and publicity Effort Nkomo, secretary for administration Tryphine Nhliziyo and secretary for security Andrew Ndlovu.

It had been suspected that the executive opted out of the elections after a commission of inquiry set up by Zanu PF to investigate events leading to the revival of PF Zapu accused them of plotting to desert the party.

Zanu PF national chairman John Nkomo had not disclosed  the full contents of the commission of inquiry report, but briefly said the probe revealed that the organisers of a recent PF Zapu meeting wanted to "embarrass" Vice-president Joseph Msika when they invited him address their indaba.
Manyika had insisted the polls would go ahead, but declined to shed light on political developments in the province.

 

Manyika was feared for his association with the dreaded party's youth militia that caused terror before, during and after the March and June controversial elections.

He had called on party youths and war veterans to prepare for a campaign of violence against the opposition, which he said had to be “silenced at all costs”. 

Manyika said the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had to be taught that Zimbabwe’s independence “was won through blood”. 

War veterans and the youth militias have been the centrepiece of Mugabe and ZANU PF’s electioneering machine since 2000, unleashing violence, terror and murder against MDC supporters to ensure victory for the ruling party. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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