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Kasukuwere fate deferred to next politburo meeting
16 Jun 2017 at 08:28hrs | Views
UNDER-FIRE Zanu-PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere's case will be decided at another politburo meeting next week after Wednesday's gathering failed to make a conclusive decision.
Sources who attended Wednesday's politburo meeting, which ended at around 10pm, said Kasukuwere was asked to leave the room to pave way for discussion of a report compiled by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda.
"Initially, he tried to refuse to leave the meeting, but was commanded out. He then left and politburo members agreed that he had a case to answer, although it is not yet clear how big the case is," the source said.
The source said Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa moved that Kasukuwere recuse himself from the meeting before President Robert Mugabe endorsed the decision to allow members to freely discuss his case.
Kasukuwere faces a litany of charges, among them the setting-up of parallel party structures in a bid to topple Mugabe, which triggered demonstrations against him in 10 provinces, with party members calling for his ouster.
Another source claimed most politburo members want action taken against the political commissar, although there was some agreement that the demonstrations against him had been done outside the party constitution.
"Members spoke against Kasukuwere and they want action taken against him," the source said.
"There was an agreement that there were things that were done outside party procedures, yes, but they also found that he should answer to his case."
Provinces were then asked to bring their reports at next Wednesday's meeting.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo, however, told the media that the report on Kasukuwere had not been discussed and he was not aware when it would be tabled before the politburo.
"No, this was not discussed. You are going to the report of the chairman (of the probe committee, Mudenda), I am saying this was not discussed," he said.
Khaya Moyo said the politburo could not deliberate on the issue because time had run out.
Instead, he said, the politburo received reports on livestock killed during the recent floods.
Kasukuwere's mobile phone went unanswered yesterday when he was sought for comment and he did not respond to messages sent to him either.
Sources who attended Wednesday's politburo meeting, which ended at around 10pm, said Kasukuwere was asked to leave the room to pave way for discussion of a report compiled by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda.
"Initially, he tried to refuse to leave the meeting, but was commanded out. He then left and politburo members agreed that he had a case to answer, although it is not yet clear how big the case is," the source said.
The source said Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa moved that Kasukuwere recuse himself from the meeting before President Robert Mugabe endorsed the decision to allow members to freely discuss his case.
Kasukuwere faces a litany of charges, among them the setting-up of parallel party structures in a bid to topple Mugabe, which triggered demonstrations against him in 10 provinces, with party members calling for his ouster.
Another source claimed most politburo members want action taken against the political commissar, although there was some agreement that the demonstrations against him had been done outside the party constitution.
"Members spoke against Kasukuwere and they want action taken against him," the source said.
"There was an agreement that there were things that were done outside party procedures, yes, but they also found that he should answer to his case."
Provinces were then asked to bring their reports at next Wednesday's meeting.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo, however, told the media that the report on Kasukuwere had not been discussed and he was not aware when it would be tabled before the politburo.
"No, this was not discussed. You are going to the report of the chairman (of the probe committee, Mudenda), I am saying this was not discussed," he said.
Khaya Moyo said the politburo could not deliberate on the issue because time had run out.
Instead, he said, the politburo received reports on livestock killed during the recent floods.
Kasukuwere's mobile phone went unanswered yesterday when he was sought for comment and he did not respond to messages sent to him either.
Source - newsday
