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Nduduzo Tshuma Senior Political Reporter
ZANU-PF Politburo member Cde Sithembiso Nyoni has been barred from a party to be held in Binga on Saturday to celebrate the appointment of Politburo members from Matabeleland North province.

Politburo member and Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Cde Obert Mpofu will be the guest of honour at the function to be held at the Freedom Square, Binga Centre.

Zanu-PF Binga district organised the celebrations.

Cde Nyoni has been in the spotlight for calling the Zanu-PF Matabeleland North provincial leadership “shallow” following a failed bid to have her removed from the Central Committee in the run up to Zanu-PF’s 6th National People’s Congress in December.

The Matabeleland North provincial executive had attempted to block Cde Nyoni’s nomination to the party’s Central Committee, along with Cdes Jacob Mudenda, Fati Mpofu and Elias Mavule, but the move was blocked by the Politburo.

The Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) met in Lupane on Saturday and resolved that Cde Nyoni, who is also the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development, should be summoned before the committee, explain herself and issue an apology for her utterances.

Zanu-PF Matabeleland North provincial youth secretary for information and publicity, Cde Elias Sibanda, said the party was a district programme and they had invited Politburo, Central Committee and provincial members except for Cde Nyoni.

“We’re celebrating the appointment of Politburo members by President Mugabe and the fact that Matabeleland North got the highest number of members in the body,” said Cde Sibanda who was accompanied by a member of the national youth executive Cde Wellington Tagarira.

Ironically, Cde Nyoni is one of the Politburo members appointed by the President.

“Dr Mpofu will be the guest of honour at the party and we also want to celebrate his elevation to secretary for finance in the party which is a very big post. About 3,000 people are expected to attend. We’ve invited the party leadership and members of the public except Cde Sithembiso Nyoni,” he said.

“She (Cde Nyoni) said the leadership of the province is shallow so we want to avoid problems since she’s the only one who isn’t shallow. When shallow people meet a sharp person there’s bound to be problems as they won’t be able to gel so her presence isn’t welcome.”

Cde Sibanda said a number of musical bands from the region have been invited to provide entertainment at the celebrations.

“Traditional groups from Binga will also entertain the crowd while all the 17 traditional chiefs from Binga have been invited and transport will be provided for them to the venue,” he said.