News / National
Mujuru panics, challenges move to appoint VPs
20 Nov 2014 at 06:01hrs | Views
VICE President Joice Mujuru yesterday clandestinely filed papers to contest her current position at the forthcoming 6th Annual National People's Congress, a development that was described as not only unprocedural, but also unprecedented in the history of the party.
The unprecedented move raised eyebrows in that it came at a time of a growing cacophony for Mujuru's resignation from her position in the party and Government in the wake of shocking allegations of corruption and abuse of office levelled against her.
The First Lady Grace Mugabe led calls for the VP's resignation and the calls have since been endorsed by war veterans, students and the Women's League, some of whose members have threatened to march on Munhumutapa to carry Mujuru out if she doesn't step down.
More so, the unprocedural application was unlikely to have been made out of ignorance given that Dr Mujuru has spent 10 years as VP and has been through two congresses and as such knows that the application was uncalled for.
Sources close to developments said the move was wrong on three fronts:
- Premature in that the party had not called for such applications, where they are warranted;
- Unprecedented in that the VP herself or her predecessors have never done it; and
- Wrong in that contestants for such posts do not apply but have to be nominated by at least six of the country's 10 provinces.
In terms of the Zanu-PF constitution, it is only Central Committee members who apply to be appointed, and the party has since sent out a circular to that effect where prospective Central Committee members are required to submit their CVs plus two passport size photographs to the Provincial Elections Directorate.
"The Vice President applied today. She sent her application to the secretary for administration who told her that he did not receive such applications, after which she directed it to the National Political Commissar Webster Shamu.'
Sources close to the Mujuru lobby that stands accused of working to depose President Mugabe said the unprocedural application appeared designed to wrong foot opponents in the run-up to Congress where the VP, who has since expressed her ambition to serve the party even in the presidency, hoped to get her nomination from the floor which explains reports of the manipulation of the accreditation of delegates in some provinces principally Masvingo, Mashonaland West and Manicaland amid reports
Efforts to get comment from secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa or national political commissar Webster Shamu were unfruitful last night as their phones went unanswered.
The unprecedented move raised eyebrows in that it came at a time of a growing cacophony for Mujuru's resignation from her position in the party and Government in the wake of shocking allegations of corruption and abuse of office levelled against her.
The First Lady Grace Mugabe led calls for the VP's resignation and the calls have since been endorsed by war veterans, students and the Women's League, some of whose members have threatened to march on Munhumutapa to carry Mujuru out if she doesn't step down.
More so, the unprocedural application was unlikely to have been made out of ignorance given that Dr Mujuru has spent 10 years as VP and has been through two congresses and as such knows that the application was uncalled for.
Sources close to developments said the move was wrong on three fronts:
- Premature in that the party had not called for such applications, where they are warranted;
- Wrong in that contestants for such posts do not apply but have to be nominated by at least six of the country's 10 provinces.
In terms of the Zanu-PF constitution, it is only Central Committee members who apply to be appointed, and the party has since sent out a circular to that effect where prospective Central Committee members are required to submit their CVs plus two passport size photographs to the Provincial Elections Directorate.
"The Vice President applied today. She sent her application to the secretary for administration who told her that he did not receive such applications, after which she directed it to the National Political Commissar Webster Shamu.'
Sources close to the Mujuru lobby that stands accused of working to depose President Mugabe said the unprocedural application appeared designed to wrong foot opponents in the run-up to Congress where the VP, who has since expressed her ambition to serve the party even in the presidency, hoped to get her nomination from the floor which explains reports of the manipulation of the accreditation of delegates in some provinces principally Masvingo, Mashonaland West and Manicaland amid reports
Efforts to get comment from secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa or national political commissar Webster Shamu were unfruitful last night as their phones went unanswered.
Source - The Herald
