Zimpapers Logo

Cde Mutasa

Herald Reporter
FORMER Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa, smarting from his failure to land a Central Committee seat which ruled him out of the Politburo, has roped in MDC-T and a Western-funded international NGO in a bid to subvert the will of the people so he can be restored to his former positions in the party and Government, failing which he has approached the former secretary-general of the ANC to host him at his farm in South Africa.

After failing to land a Central Committee slot in his home district, Cde Mutasa was effectively ruled out of the Politburo before being relieved of his duties as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs after he was implicated in fanning factionalism and working with a cabal, led by former Vice President Joice Mujuru, that stood accused of working to undermine and depose President Mugabe, stopping at nothing even assassination.

IN THE NEWS: DIDYMUS MUTASA

• Bitter Mutasa lobbies Zuma

• Mutasa tasa: Demise of Cde Nyati

• Tragedy of presumptuous ambitions

• VP Mujuru, 8 ministers fired

• When the hunter’s rod strikes hard

Cde Mutasa reportedly told his lover that if the President blocked Dr Mujuru’s ascendancy to the Presidency of Zanu-PF, he would be shot.

He is reported to have used his contacts in MDC-T to get the issue of his failure to land a Central Committee seat and dismissal from Government tabled at a meeting of the Socialist International Council, which met at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, from December 12 to 13.

On its website, the Socialist International Council, says it is a worldwide organisation of social democratic, socialist and labour parties that brings together 168 political parties and organisations from all continents.

The Socialist International Council meeting was convened to discuss high levels of insecurity and threats to world peace.

Zanu-PF is not a member of the Socialist International Council though the MPLA of Angola, Frelimo of Mozambique, SWAPO of Namibia, ANC (South Africa), and Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Tanzania) are members along with the MDC, the Botswana Democratic Party and Patriotic Front of Zambia listed as consultative parties.

The Lesotho Congress for Democracy has observer status.

The MPLA was represented at the meeting by its secretary-general Mr Julião Mateus Paulo, the director of the Department of International Relations (DRI) Central Committee, Pedro Chaves and the head of Europe Division of the same department, João Neto “Jané “.

The MPLA — through its secretary- general — occupies the International Socialist Council’s vice-presidency.

When Mr Pedro Chaves came out of the meeting, he began sending messages to Zanu-PF saying he had heard bad things about the Zanu-PF secretary for administration.

“We have heard bad things about your secretary-general. What is happening with your secretary-general?’’ he is said to have asked.

Cde Mutasa, who is in India where his wife is receiving treatment, is reported to have begun calling secretaries-general of sister liberation movements in southern Africa to make the same claims he had made to South African president Cde Jacob Zuma, whom he lobbied, saying Dr Mujuru, several ministers and him had been unjustly ejected from Zanu-PF and Government.

Cde Mutasa, who has traditionally represented Zanu-PF at meetings of sister liberation movements, appeared keen on exploiting the synergies he built on official party business.

He granted an interview to the South African media on Saturday where he sought to discredit the recent congress that ushered in new party leadership.

In an interview with the Independent of South Africa, Cde Mutasa urged South African President Jacob Zuma to alert other regional governments about Zanu-PF’s Congress where he and Dr Mujuru, among other officials, were ejected both from the revolutionary party and Government.

He claimed that their sacking was unprocedural and undemocratic.

Ironically Dr Mujuru, who lost not only her party and Government position but also her parliamentary seat, has since accepted her fate and congratulated the leadership elected at Congress.

Cde Mutasa is reported to have been working with the former treasurer general of the ANC, Matthews Phosa, in this regard, with whom he attended an exchange meeting with the MPLA in Angola between October 13 and 18 this year.

Cde Mutasa is reported to have asked Matthews Phosa to house him at his farm in South Africa on his return from India as a prelude to seeking asylum, a request which Mr. Phosa is said to have acceded to.

The Herald understands, from highly placed sources at the Zanu-PF national headquarters, that Cde Mutasa is wasting his time with the so-called diplomatic offensive as the proceedings of the 6th National People’s Congress that he is trying to lampoon were open to local and international media and were also broadcast live on ZBCTv which the major daily newspapers in Zimbabwe giving live updates on their websites.

‘’Most importantly’’ said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, ‘’the former liberation movements that (Cde) Mutasa is appealing to attended the Congress, were represented at a high level at the Congress, and had the opportunity to participate and to see for themselves what transpired.

‘’Mutasa himself was not there, so his spirited attempts to contact them are a futile exercise,’’ said the source.

The Herald also has it on good authority that the newly appointed Zanu-PF secretary for external relations, who is also foreign affairs minister in Government, Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, has since written to all sister liberation movements in Sadc and other progressive organisations informing them of the resolutions of Congress and what transpired.

A number of the liberation movements are reported to have been highly impressed with the highly subscribed Congress that brought together over 12 000 delegates, and said they had taken lessons for the organisation of their own indabas.

‘’Zanu-PF was applauded for the organisation of that historic Congress, particularly the fact of bringing over 12 000 delegates together, over a five day period without incident.

‘’The delegates also saw for themselves the massive endorsement that the President and First Secretary of the party, Cde Mugabe, and the First Lady Amai Mugabe,’’ the source said.

The ANC was represented by its treasurer-general Cde Zweli Mkhize who said Zanu-PF’s victory in last year’s harmonised elections would advance the fight to achieve economic freedom, not only for Zimbabwe, but for the region.

“We are confident that this 6th National People’s Congress will come up with resolutions that will ensure a better Zimbabwe, which will lead to a better Sadc and a better continent.”

SWAPO Secretary-general Cde Mbuba Nangolo Mbumba rapped attempts by outsiders to disturb the liberation movements.

“We are aware of the deliberate strategy aimed at destroying the progressive unity and peace in the sub-region,” he said adding, “We have no doubt that the Zanu-PF ruling party under the vibrant leadership of His Excellency Cde President Mugabe will emerge united and ready to continue the process of guiding this great nation for generations to come. The SWAPO party salutes you, Zanu-PF, in your process to continue the accelerated implementation of the Zim-Asset.”

Secretary general of the PPRD of the DRC Cde Everiste Boshab hailed the traditional relationship between Zanu-PF nad his party.

“This invitation is a strong signal of our long tradition of friendship and sincere collaboration that exists between our two countries and our two political organisations.”