Mugabe says he will step down

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday said all members of the Zanu-PF politburo and central committee, including himself, will resign ahead of the December party congress so that they could seek a fresh mandate.

Mugabe, who is Zanu-PF president and first secretary made the remarks when he officially opened the women's league conference in Harare.

"You are meeting in preparation for the national people's congress at the end of the year and at that congress, all the leaders of the party at the central committee, politburo level must resign," he said.

"All of us must resign so new ones can be chosen and I am sure you are aware of that."

Mugabe denounced party leaders involved in vote-buying and intimidation ahead of the congress.

"There are some who are playing dirty, wanting to have candidates favourable to them. Beware of that," he thundered.

Mugabe said there should be no fighting within Zanu-PF, adding that the main war should be to ensure the party's economic blueprint - ZimAsset - was implemented.

"I hope this conference does show better preparation than was the case with the preceding one, that for the youth league," he said.
"I want once again to apologise for our behaviour.

"There were many blunders in preparing for the youth league conference and very many, some of them even criminal blunders in interfering with the rights of members of the youth league to run their own choice of who they preferred and to elect their own candidates for only two positions."

Mugabe had to donate food to save the youths from starvation before blasting party leaders for failing to fundraise while spending most of their time plotting against each other.

"I want to repeat this and say, please forgive us party leaders for our blunders," he said.

"We didn't plan well for the youth league conference.

"We encountered a lot of things that we didn't handle well, but the most blunders were the embarrassing way we interfered with the process."

Mugabe said it was sad that senior officials in the politburo fought hard to influence the outcome of the youth league elections.

"We didn't have money for food and money to pay for lorries and buses, but we got money to buy people," he said.

"I plead with women, you should have respect for your standing. We don't want to interfere like we did with youths in your affairs.

"If already it has been done, don't do what you don't want to do, what you are forced to do."