The
new
party
is
led
by
Matthew
Sibanda,
one
of
five
former
senior
ZAPU
officials
from
Matabeleland
South
who
were
expelled
in
2022
for
opposing
the
candidacy
of
Sibangilizwe
Nkomo,
son
of
the
late
ZAPU
founding
leader
Joshua
Nkomo,
in
the
party’s
presidential
race.
The
group,
commonly
referred
to
as
the
“Mat
South
Five”
comprising
Sibanda,
Gideon
Dlamini,
Echem
Nkala,
Ernest
Ndlovu
and
Mildred
Mkandla
accused
Nkomo
of
leveraging
his
father’s
legacy
to
secure
votes
at
the
2021
congress
despite
lacking
the
necessary
credentials.
The
five
had
served
ZAPU
in
various
provincial
and
national
capacities
since
2011.
However,
they
were
expelled
in
November
2022
after
raising
concerns
about
irregularities
in
Nkomo’s
election,
alleging
that
Nkomo
garnered
121
votes,
even
though
only
105
delegates
were
registered
to
vote.
After
their
concerns
were
dismissed
internally,
the
group
sought
legal
recourse
in
June
2023
but
the
Bulawayo
High
Court
upheld
Nkomo’s
nomination
and
confirmed
his
presidency
of
ZAPU.
Despite
the
legal
setback,
Sibanda,
now
interim
president
of
O
ZAPU,
insisted
that
their
goal
was
not
to
create
a
new
political
party
but
to
restore
the
original
ZAPU,
which
he
claimed
had
strayed
from
its
founding
principles
under
Nkomo’s
leadership.
“In
fact,
we
are
not
forming
a
new
party.
We
are
reviving
the
original
ZAPU
because
the
party’s
constitution
was
violated
when
Sibangilizwe
took
over
the
presidency,”
Sibanda
said
during
the
launch
held
last
Saturday
in
Bulawayo.
Sibanda
argued
that
ZAPU
had
lost
direction
and
relevance
under
Nkomo’s
tenure.
“During
the
previous
elections,
the
party
failed
to
field
candidates
for
both
council
and
parliamentary
seats
in
Bulawayo.
Even
the
president
himself
did
not
contest,”
he
noted.
Sibanda
pledged
that
O
ZAPU
would
institute
reforms
and
prioritise
national
development
if
elected
into
power.
“We
will
focus
on
infrastructure
development
and
revamping
the
country’s
ailing
healthcare
system,”
he
stated.
Sibanda
also
insisted
Nkomo’s
leadership
as
ZAPU
president
was
illegitimate,
claiming
he
was
not
a
registered
party
member
at
the
time
of
his
election
and
had
never
held
any
official
position
within
the
party
structures.
“I
was
ZAPU’s
chairperson
for
Matabeleland
South,
and
I
can
confirm
that
Sibangilizwe
was
not
in
any
structures
in
the
province.
The
ZAPU
constitution
is
very
clear,
one
must
rise
through
the
ranks,
from
branch
level
to
national,
to
be
eligible
for
leadership,”
he
said.
He
went
further
to
accuse
Nkomo
of
forging
his
party
credentials
to
qualify
for
the
2021
presidential
contest.
“Sibangilizwe
was
simply
imposed
because
he
is
the
son
of
the
party’s
late
commander,”
Sibanda
claimed.
The
launch
of
O
ZAPU
was
attended
by
Mthwakazi
Republic
Party
(MRP)
vice
president
Sibongile
Banda
and
the
party’s
Secretary
for
Legal
Affairs,
Nkosilathi
Khanye.
Some
ZAPU
delegates
from
all
ten
provinces
also
attended
the
event
while
Stylish
Magida
was
introduced
as
the
interim
Secretary
General
of
the
new
formation.