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Cde Gumbo

Herald Reporter
ZANU-PF national spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo is no longer a reliable source of information on events in Zanu-PF as he misrepresents party positions on factional grounds, political analysts reiterated yesterday.

The privately-owned media was also not spared with analysts yesterday noting that the papers had become factional in their reportage of developments within the revolutionary party, which developments they are modifying on the trot.

After last week’s highly-anticipated Politburo meeting, Cde Gumbo told the media that the President would set up a commission of inquiry to probe VP Mujuru and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa for fanning factionalism.

However, investigations by The Herald that involved engaging 13 Politburo members, revealed that Cde Gumbo had once again passed his own contribution to deliberations as the final Politburo position.

The investigations revealed that President Mugabe did not use the words “commission of inquiry’’, but it was Cde Gumbo himself who did so as part of his contribution to deliberations and the contribution was not adopted.

A commission of inquiry would need to be set up in terms of the Commission of Inquiry Act Chapter 10:07 of 1996.

Lawyers said there was no way the President, a lawyer by training, would have missed this salient point given that the allegations against Vice President Mujuru were of a criminal nature and called for the law to take its course.

While the Politburo members were at pains to divulge deliberations which are highly confidential, what they recalled was that commenting after submissions by Dr Mujuru and secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa, the President outlined the mounds of evidence against the Vice President saying other people had phoned him while others had brought dossiers of VP Mujuru’s illicit dealings in diamonds, extortionate shareholding and illicit gold dealings, among other ills.

In the wake of The Herald expose this week that Cde Rugare Gumbo had sold the nation a dummy in claiming that the Politburo had resolved to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate Cdes Joice Mujuru and Emmerson Mnangagwa for fanning factionalism, and following input from several lawyers that the charges being levelled against VP Mujuru do not warrant a commission but investigations by the police, the Zimbabwe Independent yesterday climbed down from “commission’’ to “committee’’ as it toed Cde Gumbo’s line.

“The Politburo resolved that a committee be set up to investigate factionalism in Zanu-PF,” the Zimbabwe Independent reported in a story titled ‘Mujuru throws down gauntlet’.

The Herald made it clear that President Mugabe could not have recommended a commission of inquiry given his legal grounding, with lawyers saying may be Cde Gumbo meant to say committee.

Political analyst Dr Charity Manyeruke described Cde Gumbo as an unreliable source of information about Zanu-PF.

“Our interpretation is not so much on the difference between a commission of inquiry and a committee. What that means is that confusion alone makes us confused. It means there is a problem of information in the party. You want to rely on the party when it comes to information that is communicated to its public or stakeholders,” she said.

Added Dr Manyeruke: “When we start getting to interpret using what is coming through the papers and not through the party spokesperson, it means there is a problem.

“We want reality and objectivity of information. We do not want the party to be at the mercy of journalists. If the party spokesperson is not releasing truthful information he is leaving people at the mercy of anyone who dares to think about what would have happened in the Politburo.

“That is not healthy for any political party.”

Another political analyst Mr Goodwine Mureriwa said Cde Gumbo had long been “partisan” in his role as Zanu-PF spokesperson and warned he could be left in the cold after the crunch Zanu-PF congress next month.

“He is obviously partisan in his approach. He cannot be speaking in an impartial manner. It would be best the issue was handled after congress. Cde Gumbo’s position is a position by appointment. He who appoints can disappoint. If you go against the wishes of the appointer you risk being disappointed,” he said.

Mr Mureriwa said while President Mugabe would not be impulsive in his reaction to developments in the party, he was likely to ring changes.

Mr Mureriwa said it was also dangerous for Zimbabweans to rely on the private media as a source of information on developments in Zanu-PF as they have taken a factional stance in their reportage.

“There is no way you can rely on the private media. They have taken a stance in favour of a particular group of people. This naturally sends dangerous signals to the leadership of the party,” added Mr Mureriwa.

Last week Politburo member and Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu also lashed out at Cde Gumbo.

“Now we don’t know whether those charged with speaking on behalf of party are speaking on behalf of the party or faction. An old man appears on television frothing from the mouth speaking for a faction and not the party.

“We do not agree with that. If you are a Zanu-PF spokesperson, speak on behalf of Zanu-PF, do not talk about your own things . . . Speak for the party and tomorrow, speak your own things,” he was quoted as saying.

Cde Gumbo has come under fire on numerous occasions for “putting words into the Politburo”.

After a meeting of the Politburo recently, he told the media that President Mugabe would set up a commission of inquiry to probe Vice President Joice Mujuru and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa for fanning factionalism.

Investigations by The Herald, however, revealed that Cde Gumbo had once again passed his own contribution to deliberations as the final Politburo position.

President Mugabe did not use the words commission of inquiry” but it was Cde Gumbo himself who did so as part of his contribution to deliberations and the contribution was not adopted.