ZANU PF Bars Deputy Minister Sibanda From Party Activities

ZANU PF Matabeleland North Province has slapped Bubi legislator and Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Simelisizwe Sibanda, with a prohibition order, barring him from party offices and meetings.

The provincial disciplinary committee accuses Sibanda of tarnishing the party’s image through remarks deemed to be in violation of the constitution.

In a letter issued on Monday, committee chairperson Silas Maligo charged Sibanda with misconduct, saying his actions undermined the party’s ethos and integrity.

Sibanda is further accused of refusing to co-operate with the district co-ordinating committee (DCC) and of allegedly setting up parallel structures. Wrote Maligo:

“Your behaviour has the potential to provoke division, disunity or impact negatively on the unity of the party by creating and promoting your own parallel structures.

“You dissociated yourself from ZANU PF in social media platforms, including social media platforms that are anti-ZANU PF like the Bubi Community Parliament in which platform you categorically stated that you do not represent ZANU PF in Parliament, but you only stood for ZANU PF during the August 2023 harmonised elections and thereafter you ceased to represent it.

“You use the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme and the resultant business units as your own initiative as evidenced by your commissioning these boreholes without involvement of the party leadership, thus disrespecting the authority of the DCC.”

Maligo accused Sibanda of abusing his parliamentary position by handing over laptops from the ICT ministry to secondary schools as if they were his personal donation.

He is also accused of making disparaging remarks against the party and its leadership, allegedly humiliating the DCC leadership in public and on social media.

According to Maligo, the prohibition order was issued after a provincial executive council meeting on Sunday endorsed the Bubi DCC’s allegations of misconduct.

The order, effective from August 24, bars Sibanda from performing his duties as a DCC member, accessing ZANU PF offices in Matabeleland North, or attending any party meetings and gatherings.

The provincial disciplinary committee will convene a hearing on November 19 at party offices, with Sibanda required to respond to the allegations within 21 days.

However, Sibanda, who is also a member of the Bubi Community Parliament, said on Tuesday he was unaware of the prohibition order.

In July 2024, President Emmerson Mnangagwa dismissed Sibanda from his ministerial post after he publicly humiliated an early childhood development teacher in Bubi district over her alleged lack of proficiency in isiNdebele.

He was, however, reinstated a few weeks later after offering what were described as “profuse apologies.”

More: NewsDay