Sipepa Nkomo quits politics Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
NATIONAL People’s Party (NPP) deputy president Dr Samuel Sipepa Nkomo has quit politics, dismissing claims by MDC president Mr Nelson Chamisa that he has rejoined the opposition party.

On Tuesday, Mr Chamisa posted a picture on Twitter posing with Dr Sipepa Nkomo saying the former NPP deputy president among others, had rejoined the MDC.

“Growing Stronger, Bigger and Better…With VP (Elias) Mudzuri and Chairman (Morgen) Komichi at Morgan Tsvangirai house, party HQ (headquarters) welcoming former NPP leaders VP Sipepa Nkomo, spokesperson Jefferson Chitando and others who are coming in to join the party of excellence, the MDC,” twitted Mr Chamisa.

Dr Sipepa Nkomo, who deputised Dr Joice Mujuru in the NPP, said it was not true that he had rejoined the MDC. He said he visited the MDC leaders to pay a courtesy call and bid them farewell in politics.

“I was in the MDC before as you know. Therefore, I had been talking to a number of people especially those that I was associated with, advising them that I am actually retiring from politics. I also had to phone Chamisa to advise not only him but Mudzuri and those that are in the MDC that I am retiring.

“So when I was there (MDC headquarters) they then took a picture. But I’m not returning to MDC, I’m retiring,” said Dr Sipepa Nkomo.

He said he has been in politics for a lifetime and has had a political burnout. “I am now 75-years-old and I’ve been in politics for 58 years. I think that is long enough for me to leave and get youngsters to take over from us. I really wanted to do this and an opportunity arose for me to be able to do it,” Dr Sipepa Nkomo said.

He said his last advice to the opposition is that it has to unite if it fancies chances of winning any elections against Zanu-PF. Dr Sipepa Nkomo said following an eventful political career where he joined several political parties, his proud moment was serving as the Minister of Water Resources Development and Management during the Government of National Unity.

“My proud moment is when I was able to bring water to Bulawayo from Mtshabezi. To me that was really a proud moment because it had been a long time.

“The thing that is very sad to me is that the National Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project (NMZWP) is not yet as concluded because when I was a minister, I thought I had laid foundation for that to happen,” he said.

Construction work at Gwayi Shangani Dam is in progress which upon completion will result in Government rolling out the NMZWP. — @nqotshili

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