News / National
Zanu-PF's Mutinhiri barred from next election
18 Jul 2011 at 11:24hrs | Views
Marondera East MP Tracey Mutinhiri escaped expulsion from Zanu-PF on Wednesday but has unofficially been demoted and barred from taking part in party affairs in her district.
She will also not be allowed to contest the next parliamentary election on a Zanu-PF ticket, according to party sources who attended Wednesday's explosive politburo meeting chaired by party president Robert Mugabe.
The issue has deeply fractured Zanu-PF and highlighted the divisions within the party over a successor for the ailing dictator. The dispute put egg on the faces of senior party officials, including administrator Didymus Mutasa, who was taken to task by Mugabe over why he allowed the issue to feature on the meeting's agenda all.Tracey Mutinhiri
"Mugabe was furious. He questioned why such a 'petty issue' involving a junior member of the party should be brought to his attention. Importantly, however, the president seemed afraid of the potential fallout from the public humiliation of an army general's wife," said a politburo source.
"There were also fears that taking any direct action could lead to more damaging revelations after Mutinhiri alleged that Sekeramayi's CIO wanted to assassinate her. Those charges are probably true, judging by the history of the party."
The Zimbabwean broke the story of the CIO assassination plot against Mutinhiri last Sunday. Party heavy-weights vowed to get rid of Mutinhiri, wife of retired brigadier-general Ambrose Mutinhiri.
She was accused of working too closely with the MDC-T, and castigated for banning party slogans at her meetings – which she had done as a way of preventing division and violence.
Party chiefs were also suspicious after she was removed from the targeted measures list for her efforts in promoting the implementation of the GPA and bringing peace. Party bosses suspected she had sold out.
Our sources said an angry Mugabe had refused to even hear the report from the Marondera DCC and referred the matter to party commissar Webster Shamu to sort out.
She will also not be allowed to contest the next parliamentary election on a Zanu-PF ticket, according to party sources who attended Wednesday's explosive politburo meeting chaired by party president Robert Mugabe.
The issue has deeply fractured Zanu-PF and highlighted the divisions within the party over a successor for the ailing dictator. The dispute put egg on the faces of senior party officials, including administrator Didymus Mutasa, who was taken to task by Mugabe over why he allowed the issue to feature on the meeting's agenda all.Tracey Mutinhiri
"Mugabe was furious. He questioned why such a 'petty issue' involving a junior member of the party should be brought to his attention. Importantly, however, the president seemed afraid of the potential fallout from the public humiliation of an army general's wife," said a politburo source.
The Zimbabwean broke the story of the CIO assassination plot against Mutinhiri last Sunday. Party heavy-weights vowed to get rid of Mutinhiri, wife of retired brigadier-general Ambrose Mutinhiri.
She was accused of working too closely with the MDC-T, and castigated for banning party slogans at her meetings – which she had done as a way of preventing division and violence.
Party chiefs were also suspicious after she was removed from the targeted measures list for her efforts in promoting the implementation of the GPA and bringing peace. Party bosses suspected she had sold out.
Our sources said an angry Mugabe had refused to even hear the report from the Marondera DCC and referred the matter to party commissar Webster Shamu to sort out.
Source - thezimbabwean
