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Cde Kaukonde

Herald Reporter
The vote of no confidence passed on Zanu-PF Mashonaland East provincial chairman Cde Ray Kaukonde by war veterans, youths and women on Monday is of no force or effect as it is not constitutional, it has emerged.

The move only had the effect of leaving Cde Kaukonde on the brink as the war veterans led a push to kick him out, but Cde Kaukonde can only be ousted if a quorate Provincial Executive Council passes the vote of no confidence in his leadership.

According to the Zanu-PF constitution Article 29 (251): “A motion of no confidence shall be by a simple majority of all members of the appropriate organ. Provided that where a vote of no confidence is passed against one third of the total membership of any organ, that organ shall automatically dissolve itself and new elections shall be held”.

The appropriate organ to pass the vote of no confidence in Cde Kaukonde in this case is the provincial executive council.

Cde Kaukonde was identified by First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe as the financial kingpin of a plot led by Vice President Joice Mujuru to oust President Mugabe.

The “no-confidence vote” by the war veterans — which also extended to Cde Kaukonde’s entire executive — came after a peaceful demonstration in Marondera organised by members of the Women’s League and which drew hundreds of Zanu-PF supporters from the Youth League, war veterans, war collaborators, former political prisoners and ex-detainees.

Only one district out of the nine administrative districts in the province was not represented at the meeting.

The war veterans named Cde Patrick Makombe from Marondera district as their choice for interim chairperson and said he would be deputised by Cde Tangai Hove from Goromonzi.