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congress set for Bulawayo in August.
Incumbent ZCTU president, Mr Lovemore Matombo, his immediate vice president, Mr George Nkiwane and Zimbabwe Energy Workers Union president, Mrs Angeline Chitambo are vying for the top post in the labour body.

Zewu confirmed in its magazine it had nominated Mrs Chitambo to contest for the president’s post. Mrs Chitambo was nominated by Zewu’s national council at an annual meeting held in Kadoma recently.
According to the magazine, the motion to sponsor Mrs Chitambo was overwhelmingly supported and endorsed.

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“The resolution means that Zewu as a union will now take charge of the process of ensuring that Chitambo finds a position within the hierarchy of ZCTU elected leadership,” reads The Connector, a Zewu magazine.
Mr Matombo has declined to comment saying he would do so when the right time comes. However, the magazine has quoted him lashing out at the ZCTU secretariat for “clandestinely” inserting a clause in the labour body’s constitution limiting office terms to two.

This has heightened speculation that the ZCTU boss is not prepared to relinquish power following the expiry of his two five-year terms this year.
The eligibility of Mr Matombo is expected to torch heated debate during the congress as some members have argued that the man has had his time in office and should step aside in accordance with the constitution.

Those jostling for the post of secretary general are ZCTU deputy secretary general, Mr Japhet Moyo, and Mr Nicholas Gumbe, president of the Rural District Council Workers Union.
The incumbent, Mr Wellington Chibebe is expected to step down to take up the post of deputy secretary general at the International Trade Union Confederation in Brussels.
Mr Moyo could not confirm whether he would stand or not, saying it was up to his constituency, the National Engineering Workers Union, where he is the secretary general to nominate him.

“If I am nominated I will stand, so it is up to my constituency to nominate me. I will not impose myself, otherwise I will lose the election,” said Mr Moyo.
He, however, said the ZCTU leadership had endorsed the two term limit in 2006 and expressed surprise at reports that Mr Matombo was alleging that the relevant clause was clandestinely inserted. He said there had been wide consultations on the issue before its adoption in 2006.

ZCTU has over the years had a frosty relationship with the Government for dabbling in politics at the expense of addressing workers’ welfare.
The labour body is a strong ally of the MDC-T, with a number of the party’s leaders including its president Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, products of the ZCTU.