ByTakunda Chimwaka

The Matabeleland region based political party, ZAPU is in leadership spats, following the death of its leader, Dumiso Dabengwa in June 2019, The Harare Post has learnt.

A party insider, who preferred anonymity, revealed to this publication that ZAPU Youth Wing is pushing for a Youthful leader ahead of the party’s elective extraordinary congress scheduled for 2020.

“Youths are rendering the party to be on a ‘sick bed’, as there are no visible programs and mobilisation strategies on the ground. They have since castigated the current acting leadership describing it as the ‘old guard’ which has failed to revive the party.

“Some youths are calling for the vote of no confidence in the party’s provincial executives particularly in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South provinces to come up with interim executives, citing that there are neither consolidated structures nor meaningful activities in these aforementioned provinces,” revealed the source.

Another ZAPU member also revealed that the party is heavily embedded with resource constrains hence it is incapacitated to have any meaningful activity on the ground.

“Our fingers remain crossed on whether the planned 2020 congress would be successful as indications are that the party is facing financial constraints.

“It also appears the party leadership is clueless on where they can source funds for party activities. The party is performing dismally in all the by-elections which is a clear indication that we are heading nowhere,” lamented the source.

Although ZAPU is an old opposition political party, it still fails to enjoy significant support from both Matabeleland and Mashonaland regions.