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Herald Reporter
THE 97th ordinary session of the Zanu-PF Central Committee resolved to expel former national secretary for information and publicity, Cde Rugare Gumbo from the party, after he remained defiant in his relentless attack of the revolutionary party and senior leaders including President Mugabe.Cde Gumbo was suspended by the Politburo for five years for taking part in an underground movement led by Vice President Joice Mujuru that was plotting to eliminate President Mugabe.

He was also accused of feeding the media after Politburo meetings with information that propped up his faction led by VP Mujuru.

The Herald is in possession of the Central Committee resolution that led to the expulsion of Gumbo.

“(The Central Committee) took cognisance of the suspension of Cde Rugare Gumbo as secretary for information and publicity by the Politburo in October, 2014 for five years.

“Further took cognisance of the fact that notwithstanding the suspension, Cde Gumbo has remained defiant and unrepentant and has continued to launch relentless attacks against Zanu-PF and its leadership in a futile misguided effort to become the rallying point around which opposition forces, detractors and enemies of the party and people of Zimbabwe can congregate and try to seek a new lease of life.

“Now therefore the Central Committee resolves and hereby expels Rugare Gumbo from membership of the Zanu-PF,” reads the resolution in part.

The Central Committee also noted that Cde Gumbo’s defiant behaviour and disloyal conduct amounted to treachery in a similar offence for which he was punished and imprisoned in 1978 during the liberation struggle.

The party fired Cde Gumbo after noting that his acts of disloyalty to leadership was taking place despite the pardon, rehabilitation and elevation to the Politburo that he received at the mercy of the party leadership soon after independence.

Following his suspension, Cde Gumbo continued to give hostile media some interviews attacking Zanu-PF and its leadership.

In an interview with the Zimbabwe Independent last week, Cde Gumbo said there was a leadership crisis in Zanu-PF.

He was quoted as saying; “We have a serious leadership crisis and the whole world is aware of that. We have a leadership that is disjointed, a leadership that has no focus on how to resolve major issues.

“We have a leadership that is power-hungry and will do anything to subvert the will of the people.  They want to remain leaders forever at the expense of the suffering majority. It is an unfocused leadership that is concerned with its own interests, not addressing the concerns of the people.

“Mugabe has lost direction and he is being used by power hungry people. He has practically lost control of the party. He should not have allowed the First Lady to attack long-time comrades like that and that on its own shows he is no longer in control. He has no vision.

“You cannot bulldoze amendments to the constitution so that it fits into what opportunists want . . . ”