HOT shot Harare lawyer Jonathan Samkange has accused Zanu PF of trying to sideline him despite "loyally" serving party loyally for years.
The sharp-tongued Samkange says he is prepared to give up his successful legal career for a shot at politics and has appealed against a party decision barring him from recently held Mudzi District Co-coordinating Committee (DCC) elections.
Samkange was disqualified on the grounds that he had not served the party for at least five years which is one of the requirements for the top post.
But he is challeneging the ruling and claims he has had a long association with Zanu PF.
“I have been a loyal Zanu PF cadre for all of my adult life and I have dedicated more than five years to the party,” he told state media adding that he was most active in the early 1990s especially in Mudzi district.
“My relationship with the then Zanu started during my time at the then University of Rhodesia, where I did a lot of advocacy work for the party. We had a block student committee that used to visit Cold Comfort Farm for meetings with the likes of Didymus Mutasa, Moven Mahachi and Chief Rekayi Tangwena.
“Some of the people that I worked with from the university include Justice Anthony Gubbay and Justice Nick McNally, who were both against the settler regime.
“I came back into active politics in 1990 and I immediately joined the Zanu PF structures in Gozi district in Mudzi and rose from the cell level with the highest position I held being that of secretary in the commissariat.
“In 1995, I submitted to contest in the elections for Mudzi constituency but later withdrew to pave way for Musa, who went on to become the Member of Parliament for the area.
“In 2000 I expressed interest to stand in primary elections to contest in the constituency, but Ray Kaukonde went on to stand in the primary elections unopposed after Musa, Mudzimu, Chesango and myself stood down to let him run for the seat.”
A practising lawyer for some 32 years, Samkange said he was ready to go into politics full-time.
“If things go according to plan, I will quit my current position in law to take a more advisory or consultancy duty. I will stop practising and I will go to the advocates’ chambers which is a more advisory role,” he said