SIBANGILIZWE Nkomo, son to late Vice President Joshua Nkomo, has resigned from both the Joshua Nkomo Cultural Movement and the Joshua Nkomo Legacy Restoration Project Trust following his decision to contest for the Zapu presidency.
He was the chairperson of the two organisations.
Sibangilizwe (63) is set to contest for the Zapu presidency during the party’s elective congress set for August this year despite strong protests from some quarters over his eligibility to hold the position.
The late VP Nkomo was the leader of PF Zapu, which signed a unity pact with Zanu in 1987 to form Zanu PF.
However, a handful of former PF Zapu politicians in 2008 broke away from Zanu PF to revive Zapu which now seeks a new leader to replace the now-late Dumiso Dabengwa who died in 2019.
In a joint statement Tuesday, the two non-profit organisations confirmed Sibangilizwe had resigned as their chairperson with immediate effect.
“The Joshua Nkomo Legacy Restoration Project Trust and the Joshua Nkomo Cultural Movement would like to inform and advise all stakeholders, partners and interested persons or groups and the Zimbabwean nation at home and abroad that Mr. Michael Sibangilizwe who has been the joint chairperson and founding trustee of the two institutions has resigned with immediate effect to pursue an interest in active politics,” the statement reads.
“Most of us will remember that Mr. Nkomo has been nominated to take part in political activities in a named political party in the country. It is our belief, as institutions that every person has his or her constitutional right and freedom to associate or belong to any organisation of his choice.”
The two organisations said although they welcomed his resignation, they would constantly consult Sibangilizwe for guidance.
“We would like to state that we have, as two institutions, welcomed Mr. Nkomo’s resignation and withdrawal from the activities of the trusts with immediate effect. It is prudent that we state, categorically that given institutional memory that is reposited in Mr. Nkomo, the two organisations shall from time to time, consult him on matters that require the Joshua Nkomo family’s attention given that he was a representative of the family of our icon, the late vice president, Dr. Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo whose legacy the two trusts seek to help preserve for future generations.”