Harare — THE Zanu-PF Politburo will select a candidate for nomination to the post of Vice President of the party if the three Matabeleland provinces fail to agree on a single candidate by Wednesday, secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa said yesterday.

If subsequently nominated and endorsed by at least six provinces, the candidate will fill the vacant posts of Vice President and Second Secretary of Zanu-PF following the death of the fearless founding nationalist Cde Joseph Msika in August.

That process will take place only in the event that more than one name is forwarded by the three Matabeleland provinces, which were given until Wednesday this week to select a single candidate to be endorsed by all the party's 10 provinces.

"As soon as I get the report, it would be tabled before the Politburo and Central Committee. If the three Matabeleland provinces select a different candidate each, the Politburo will pick one.

"The Politburo, will use its discretion to select a single candidate and present him before the 10 provinces," said Cde Mutasa.

Asked how the Politburo would arrive at a single candidate, Cde Mutasa said seniority in the party would take precedence.

"We cannot run away from the precedence of seniority now. All our leaders have always been seniors in the party," he said, giving reference to the ascendancy to the Presidium of the late national heroes and Vice Presidents Cde Joshua Nkomo, Cde Simon Muzenda and Cde Msika.

He said the Politburo had only asked the three provinces of Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South to select a candidate to be endorsed by all provinces.

"We are not saying all given by the three provinces is final. The candidate would have to be endorsed by at least six provinces. The person should achieve six nominations from the provinces," he said.

He said the media had got it wrong by referring to the ongoing process as nominations.

"We want selection of a candidate to be nominated in terms of our constitution. The candidate would have to be nominated and endorsed by all provinces," he said.

Bulawayo Province has already selected Zanu-PF national chairman Cde John Nkomo while the other two provinces are still to either second his selection or proffer different names.

Officially, it is not clear if there is any candidate challenging Cde Nkomo for the post, although several names have been thrown around in the rumour mill.