Political Reporter

Miners across the country are contemplating passing a vote of no confidence against the National Mine Workers Union of Zimbabwe (NMWUZ) president, Kurebwa Javangwe Nomboka, for meddling in opposition politics.

A miner in Bindura who spoke to this publication said that mine workers were irritated by Nomboka’s failure to advance their welfare issues, while spending time campaigning for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

“We have lost confidence in Nomboka. We elected him so that he could advance the interests of mine workers. However, he has forgotten his mandate and is now meddling in CCC politics. He should relinquish his position as NMWUZ president and get into opposition politics full time,” said the miner.

The same mine worker said miners have distanced themselves from Nomboka’s recent utterances where he urged mine workers to vote for the opposition in the 2023 Harmonised General Elections.

“Nomboka does not speak for us. We are adults who can make their own political choices. We don’t need Nomboka to tell us who to vote for. Nomboka is now behaving like a CCC commissar. That’s why we are saying that he should be removed as NMWUZ president,” added the miner.

According to the miner, the impending Nomboka’s ouster was also as result of failing to discharge his duties.

“Among some of the main duties of NMWUZ president include routine visits to mines in Zimbabwe, to ascertain their efficiency and also to timeously resolve the challenges being faced by workers committee members, reviewing their constitutionality, and also investigating miners’ plights. Nomboka has failed to do all this since his election last year. He is therefore not fit to continue at the helm of NMWUZ,” added the source.

Efforts to get a comment from Nomboka or NMWUZ Secretary General, Sylvester Mushaike, were futile as their mobile phones were not reachable.