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Cde Gumbo

Herald Reporter
The Zanu-PF Politburo meeting, which is expected to deal with serious allegations of corruption, subversion and abuse of office levelled against Vice President Joice Mujuru, which was scheduled for tomorrow has been moved to Thursday.
Party spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo confirmed the changes yesterday.

“The Politburo meeting will now be held on Thursday to make way for the Cabinet meeting that will be held on Wednesday (tomorrow),” Cde Gumbo said.

Cde Gumbo could not divulge the agenda of the meeting, but apart from VP Mujuru’s case, the party’s national elections directorate is expected to present final guidelines for elections at the National People’s Congress in December.

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Members of the directorate chaired by Zanu-PF national chairman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo met in Harare yesterday to conclude the guidelines.

Other party officials who attended the meeting included national commissar Cde Webster Shamu, party spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo and Politburo member Cde Charles Tawengwa.

“The meeting was about fine-tuning areas that we will be presenting to the Politburo on Thursday,” said Cde Gumbo. “The issues are to do with the Congress preparations. We are ready to present to the Politburo. There are no contentious issues at all.”

During her “Meet the People”, which ended last week, First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe mentioned that a high ranking official was fanning factionalism.

Although she did not mention names, it was clear that the high ranking official she was referring to was VP Mujuru. Apart from accusations of fanning factionalism, the First Lady accused the official of corruption and advised her to apologise to President Mugabe or risk being sacked.

Cde Gumbo has since told our sister publication The Sunday Mail that the serious allegations against the VP could not be ignored and were expected to be discussed by the Politburo.

Tacit confirmation that all was not well for VP Mujuru came at Harare International Airport on Friday night as President Mugabe and the First Lady prepared to leave for the beatification of Pope Paul VI at The Vatican.

The President first exchanged pleasantries with service chiefs and senior Government officials.

He then walked across the red-carpet aisle and bade farewell to VP Mujuru; Senior Minister of State Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and Minister Miriam Chikukwa (Harare Provincial Affairs).

Digressing from his usual departure signature of first chatting with the VP, the President instead had a few words with Ambassador Khaya Moyo while Dr Mujuru looked on.

The First Lady shook hands with most dignitaries on the tarmac, but did not shake hands with VP Mujuru.

The First Lady then waited for the President near the stairs into the plane. Both women — who were capped at the University of Zimbabwe by President Mugabe on the same day last month — did not converse despite their proximity.

Amai Mugabe — at her rally in Mashonaland Central on Thursday last week — said the President was fed up with the senior official who she advised to apologise or risk the boot.

The official, Amai Mugabe said, was apparently incensed by her nomination to the helm of the Zanu-PF Women’s League.

She added at another rally in Mashonaland East on Friday that divisive opposition parties such as MDC and Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn as well as corruption and factionalism were all mooted in this official’s house.

Cde Gumbo told The Sunday Mail: “We cannot allow such messages to go on without taking action. The agenda for the Politburo, which has been tentatively set for the 22nd of October, has not yet been confirmed because (Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus) Mutasa is not in the office, but I think it might be discussed.

“They are serious statements, but, of course, some of it may be allegations that may be true or false. But anyway, I have said that I do not want to speak on issues that are political. So, we will see if the Politburo decides to discuss it.”