Zanu-PF Politburo members defy Mugabe 'gag order'

ZANU-PF Politburo members are defying the party's directive issued last week to stop discussing party business in the private press and have continued to feed the media with classified minutes of closed door meetings, some of which are outright falsehoods.

The position to stop sending contrived "dossiers" to the private media was further reaffirmed by President Mugabe as he officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kariba South Extension project last Friday.

But in a clear show of defiance of the President and the party, some officials continue to give comments to the private media under the guise of "unnamed sources".

The party's spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo, is also quoted extensively in the same.

Gumbo, however, said he was equally appalled by reports in the private press quoting unnamed sources from the party, accusing The Herald of also quoting unnamed sources soon after last Wednesday's Politburo meeting.

Gumbo said one member went against the Politburo's resolution by anonymously being quoted in The Herald in a story that was published after the meeting although he had given the official position.

Central Committee member Dickson Mafios described people defying the Politburo order as "sellouts".

"During the inclusive Government period we were all anti those papers and all of sudden we see our people in high-level organs going to them," he said.

"Such people are sellouts of the liberation struggle. This shows lack of discipline and patriotism and as Zanu-PF we have our own way of doing things and we have our own papers."

Mafios urged Politburo members to respect the President's advice.

"Our President is the icon of the party and we should listen to his advice," he said. "It is not good for Politburo members to defy advice from our First Secretary."

Another Politburo member, Patrick Zhuwawo, said it was important to verify if the so-called "sources" really existed.

He said if they indeed existed, they were cowards not worth their salt.

"These are people who do not believe in what they say and they choose to hide under anonymous names," he said. "They are actually cowards because if you are a politician worth his or her salt, you should be able to stand for what you believe in.

"Their comments are not even worth considering because they do not want to be associated with them."

Mashonaland West provincial youth chair Vengesai Musengi said it was wrong for the party's senior officials to defy the President and wash the party's linen in private papers.

"If truth is to be said, it has to be said in our papers," he said. "We urge our leaders to know what to say to the media and they should desist from saying that in opposition papers."

Some of the articles in which party officials displayed outright defiance included the one published by the Zimbabwe Independent on Friday September 5 under the headline: "Ruthless clashes in Zanu-PF Politburo meeting".

In the article, the paper confirmed that it received off the record briefs from Politburo members.

The paper quoted unnamed Politburo members who intimated that issues that were discussed in the meeting included growing internal strife, intra-party attacks against senior officials, suspensions of youth leaders in provinces, use of the public media to fight wars and First Lady (Amai) Grace Mugabe's "unexpected entry" into politics.

"The meeting was about what has been happening in the party of late in the aftermath of the Youth and Women's conferences and Grace's ambitions – in other the words the power struggle in the party," said the paper quoting an unnamed senior Politburo member.

"The two contentious issues to be debated and determined were the conduct and results of the Youths and Women's conferences, particularly the youths, in view of vote buying allegations and manipulation, and suspensions of youth leaders as well as associated issues.

"It was resolved the results stand, meaning the Mujuru faction secured what it wanted, although the Mnangagwa camp also scored a major victory by getting the suspensions reversed."

In the same issue, the Zimbabwe Independent reported that Zanu-PF sources said Muchinguri attacked VP Mujuru alleging that she was causing divisions in the party.

"(Cde) Muchinguri frantically attacked Vice President Joice Mujuru and asked her to come clean on allegations levelled against her by the youths," said the paper.

"She (Muchinguri) said what (VP) Mujuru was doing is demeaning to the position of the President."

The Daily News of September 5 carried a story titled "Mujuru prevails", wherein they quoted yet other unnamed Zanu-PF officials.

The story quoted some officials purported to be from the (Emmerson) Mnangagwa faction confirming that there was a heated debate on the issue of the Women's and Youth League conferences.

The paper claimed: "A senior official from the Mnangagwa faction told the Daily News yesterday that we feel we have taken this case as far as we can go," said the paper.

The paper went further claiming that the Politburo concluded that poll irregularities were a factor in the poll outcome, but not enough to justify overturning the results.

Further reports from unnamed sources quoted by the Daily News said: "They (Mnangagwa camp) wanted the youth elections overturned, but the President said he was above the situation and knew what was happening in the party."

The Zimbabwe Mail of September 5 also quoted Zanu-PF anonymous sources who said the party's Harare provincial chairman, Amos Midzi, was summoned to respond to accusations that his executive was against Amai Mugabe in the province.

In another story that was published by the Southern Eye of September 5, the paper extensively quoted Zanu-PF sources updating it on what transpired in last Wednesday's Politburo meeting.

The paper said Gumbo warned President Mugabe he risked being dragged into factional fights.

"He (Gumbo) told (President) Mugabe that he was being misled by the Mnangagwa camp that professes to love him while it was advancing its own agenda," the paper quoted an unnamed Zanu-PF source.

The paper further reported that Gumbo produced newspaper articles including one by national deputy secretary for youths affairs (Cde) Edison Chakanyuka whom they claimed to be a known Mnangagwa ally claiming that Mnangagwa was second to (President) Mugabe.

Quoting another unnamed Zanu-PF official, The Southern Eye said: "(Vice President) Mujuru said she could not be continuously subjected to public abuse by (Oppah) Muchinguri simply because she campaigned for her to land the VP post in 2004."

In yesterday's Standard, the paper published a story headlined: "Government suffers as fights over Grace intensify", where they quoted some "concerned" Zanu-PF officials who claimed that the economy was haemorrhaging at the expense of political fights.

"Factionalism and the succession fights have resulted in ministers of government discrediting and sabotaging each other instead of working together to resolve the problems facing the country," said the senior Zanu-PF official quoted by the paper.

"As a result, it is the country and the economy which suffers."

The quoted officials said they were worried by the fact that Politburo matters had become more important than Cabinet business, while the Central Committee meetings appeared to have superseded Parliament business in terms of importance.

Gumbo was quoted in the same story defending last week's long Politburo meeting, saying the party was responsible for formulating policies that directed Government work.

"We have said it over and over that the Politburo is the main organ that makes decisions that will direct Government work," Gumbo said.

"There is nothing unusual about those long meetings. We spend a lot of time because we want to formulate policies. The Politburo leads Government. Cabinet ministers are seconded by the party."

Speaking in an interview yesterday, Gumbo was furious against The Herald.

"First look in your own eye because you are the first culprits to violate that Politburo resolution," he said. "After I have briefed you that the Politburo resolved that the National Chairman (Simon Khaya Moyo) was directed to deal with the suspension of youth leaders, you went on to quote your sources in the Politburo saying the National Chairman was directed to reverse the suspensions.

"Why do you think it is wrong for others to quote sources yet you are doing the same?"

Gumbo said as the party's spokesperson, there was nothing wrong for him to give comment to any media house as long as he was defending the party and the President.

"I am the spokesperson of the party," he said. "If I say something to the private papers denigrating the party and the President then that is wrong, but if I am defending the party and the President what is wrong about that?"

At Government level, Gumbo said, there was much talk about depolarisation of the media and there was nothing wrong to do the same at party level.

"Depolarisation requires me to talk to everybody provided that I am toeing the party line," he said.