Published: 29 May 2018

zanu-pf Midlands Province is working on recalling Kwekwe Central Member of Parliament, Masango "Blackman" Matambanadzo after he announced his defection from Zanu-PF at the weekend to join opposition New Patriotic Front (NPF) led by Brigadier-General Ambrose Mutinhiri (Retired).

Matambanadzo was not allowed to contest in the revolutionary party primary elections after his CV was rejected by the province.

He then attended an NPF rally in Kwekwe at the weekend where he announced he will be contesting Kwekwe Central on an NPF ticket in the harmonised elections.

In an interview yesterday, zanu-pf Midlands provincial spokesperson, Cornelius Mupereri said the provincial leadership had called for an emergency meeting to deliberate on the matter.

"We are meeting today (yesterday) to deliberate on Matambanadzo's fate, but as it stands he has automatically expelled himself from the party so we will be just making it a formality to write to him," he said.

Mupereri said the provincial leadership was also working on recalling Matambanadzo from Parliament.

"He is a member of Parliament representing zanu-pf so by joining the opposition he ceases to be our member so we will be recalling him from Parliament," he said.

The party spokesperson said the revolutionary party was not fazed by the crowds that attended the NPF rally in Kwekwe saying the party was going to an election more united than ever.

"Under the new dispensation, the party has grown stronger and in this election, we are going there stronger as ever," he said.

Mupereri said the party will also write to Matambanadzo to return all party property that he has been using as the sitting MP.

Contacted for comment, Matambanadzo confirmed joining the NPF saying he was being pushed out of zanu-pf by what he described as "greedy and selfish" individuals from the party's provincial leadership.

He accused some party officials of holding personal grudges against him, which led to his disqualification.

"If you ask them why they disqualified me and blocked me from contesting the primary elections, they will not give you an answer.

"They are just selfish individuals who think they own the party," he said.
- the herald