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(NEWZIMBABWE) Zambia’s Sata says no to Zanu PF

Zambia’s Sata says no to Zanu PF
03/12/2011 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

ZAMBIA President, Michael Sata will not attend Zanu PF’s national conference starting in Bulawayo on Wednesday, it has emerged. Sata, elected Zambia President in September, was expected to be the high profile guest at the conference which will, among other things, endorse President Robert Mugabe as Zanu PF’s candidate for polls due early next year.

However, Sata confirmed he would not attend the conference during a meeting held Saturday with Mugabe on the Zambia side of the Victoria Falls resort. Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi said Sata would now be represented at the ‘highest level’.

“It was basically a bilateral exchange of views which also happened to be the two leaders’ first meeting since Sata took over as President,” Mumbengegwi said of Saturday’s meeting.
“It was a very good meeting where the leaders discussed a number of issues of mutual interest but I cannot go into detail.”

Meanwhile, Zanu PF national commissar and information Minister, Webster Shamu said the four-day event would confirm Mugabe as the party’s candidate for next year’s elections.

“We are going to reaffirm the position of our last congress in Mutare where President Mugabe was confirmed as the party’s sole candidate in any election between the last congress and the next,” Shamu said.

“The provinces have since affirmed that position at their respective inter-district meetings and we intend to focus our debate on other pressing matters such as indigenisation.”

Party chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo said the conference would also launch preparations for the elections demanded by Mugabe to replace the coalition government.

“We will chart methods on how to move fast in mobilising everyone with particular focus on young and female voters. This is a very key constituency that should be given the utmost priority,” Moyo said.

“We are not only interested in their vote, but also to have them play a significant part in the country’s economy through our programmes such as the Land Reform Exercise and indigenisation.”

Some 6000 delegates are expected to attend the conference, party officials said.

Labels: MICHAEL SATA, SIMBARASHE MUMBENGEGWI, SIMON KHAYA MOYO, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 8:32 AM