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Masvingo Bureau
ZANU-PF yesterday formally suspended the party’s Masvingo provincial chairman Cde Lovemore Matuke for defying a directive not to sign Dr Munyaradzi Kereke’s papers at the Nomination Court to contest the Bikita West National Assembly seat on the party’s ticket for the July 31 harmonised elections.

Cde Matuke was suspended together with the party’s provincial secretary for administration Cde Edmund Mhere who also signed Dr Kereke’s papers to represent Zanu-PF, yet the party’s preferred candidate was Cde Elias Musakwa.

Dr Kereke went on to win the Bikita West seat after prevailing over Cde Musakwa who also contested the election on a Zanu-PF ticket, Mr Heya Shoko of MDC-T and Mr Benjamin Katema of MDC.

Dr Kereke received 7 270 votes, Cde Musakwa got 6 052, Mr Shoko 3 863, while Mr Katema managed only 415. Zanu-PF subsequently notified the Speaker of the National Assembly Cde Jacob Mudenda that Dr Kereke was no longer its member, resulting in the declaration of the Bikita West seat as vacant and due for a by-election.

But Dr Kereke has since gone to court arguing that Zanu-PF wrote him a letter of expulsion on July 10 and by the time the harmonised elections took place it was clear to everyone that he was no longer a member of the party.

In the suspension letters written to Cde Matuke and Cde Mhere yesterday, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa said it was with immediate effect and meant to facilitate investigations into the charges faced by the two.

The two confirmed receiving their letters of suspension
“I received my letter of suspension today (yesterday) from the Secretary for Administration Cde Mutasa for insubordination over the signing of Dr Kereke’s papers at the nomination court ahead of the July 31 harmonised elections, but I want to make it clear that I remain a loyal member of Zanu-PF as my suspension only stops me to continue as the Zanu-PF provincial chairman for Masvingo,” said Cde Matuke.

“I still remain a member of the National Consultative Assembly in Zanu-PF and I have no hard feelings over the decision to suspend me as I feel that my hands are clean.’’

Cde Matuke said his decision to sign Dr Kereke’s papers was not an individual one as it was done by the party’s provincial co-ordinating                                       committee.

“I feel my hands are clean because the decision to sign Dr Kereke’s papers was not done by Cde Mhere and myself, it was a collective decision that was taken by the PCC (Masvingo provincial co-ordinating committee),’’ he said.

Cde Matuke, who is the Gutu Central legislator, claimed that he signed Dr Kereke’s papers under pressure from the people of Bikita West who he said wanted him to represent them.

Cde Matuke, who was also interested in seeking re-election as Masvingo provincial chairman in an election due soon, said he was not sure whether or not he would be able to contest the elections as that depended on how fast his case would be handled by the Zanu-PF disciplinary committee.