Richard Muponde TSHOLOTSHO youthful businessman, Owen Sibanda has been cleared to contest in the Tsholotsho district co-ordinating committee (DCC) elections to be held today. Sibanda is contesting for the Tsholotsho DCC chairperson position. He was earlier disqualified by Zanu PF on allegations of flouting party regulations governing the holding of DCC elections. Sibanda was cleared of the allegations by Matabeleland North provincial co-ordinating committee at a PCC meeting held a fortnight ago at the party’s Lupane offices. The PCC meeting was also attended by politburo members Angeline Masuku and principal of Chitepo School of Ideology Munyaradzi Machacha. The businessman confirmed that he was cleared to contest in the DCC elections and vowed to win. Sibanda claimed that he has the support of the district. “Since I returned from South Africa after heeding President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call for diasporans to come back home and invest, I have never stopped working for the party and the country,” Sibanda said. “I have invested millions of United States dollars in setting up business projects in my district which have created employment for our people. “This is one of the reasons why party cadres asked me to stand in the DCC elections. I am confident of winning the post for the betterment of my party and the district. I have the people’s support from the grassroots.” He said he was unmoved by the mudslinging which characterized the nominations process leading to his disqualification until his reinstatement after Tsholotsho district stood by him. “That shows that the party has democracy. Every person is free to say out what they want, but we should do so without dividing the people and the party. I have since been cleared by the provincial co-ordinating committee (PCC) to stand as a DCC chairperson candidate for Tsholotsho. “The task ahead of me is to see that we unite the party so that we would have a resounding victory in 2023. This is not the time for mudslinging or sideshows, but to focus on building the part,” he said. The ruling party disbanded the DCCs in 2012 at the height of factional wars in Zanu PF accusing them of fanning factionalism.