Reject losers, Mugabe urged

Zanu-PF's Women's League, the Youth League, war veterans and political analysts yesterday implored President Mugabe not to appoint to the Central Committee and Politburo party bigwigs who fell by the wayside in recent Central Committee elections.

The President and First Secretary of the party has the prerogative to appoint 10 people to the 245-member Central Committee. The Central Committee is the principal organ of Congress and acts on behalf of Congress when Congress is not in session.

The revolutionary party's wings and stakeholders urged the President to be guided by what came out in the election as he appoints his team in the Presidium, Politburo and Central Committee slots.

This comes in the wake of the failure by bigwigs like Vice President Joice Mujuru, secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa and Politburo members Dzikamai Mavhaire, Munacho Mutezo, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, Angeline Masuku, Absolom Sikhosana, Flora Buka and Francis Nhema to make it into the Central Committee.

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association secretary-general Victor Matemadanda said it would not be prudent to get in through the back door those who had been rejected by the people.

"Although it is the President's prerogative to appoint these people, but their loss means that people were fed up with them," he said.

"The people have spoken and there is no reason why they should be allowed through the back door."

Zanu-PF Women's League secretary for security Shuvai Mahofa said the loss by bigwigs such as Mutasa and Mavhaire spoke volumes of the people's resentment of them. We are trying to clean the mess in the party," she said.

"The result is a reflection of the people's views right from the cell up to the Central Committee level. It is people on the grassroots who have spoken and it is proper that their views be respected. We urge the President to appoint people who have been voted by the people. If you see bigwigs like Mutasa and Mavhaire being rejected, it says a lot about their calibre."

Zanu-PF Youth League deputy secretary Kudzai Chipanga said while it was President Mugabe's prerogative to exercise his discretion in making appointments of people to the Central Committee and Politburo, it was fair that he considered what people had said through the election.

"As the Youth League we advocate that the President does not appoint those people who have been rejected by the people. For them to be rejected it was not by coincidence but people had judged them fairly for whatever they were doing while they were executing their party duties," said Chipanga.

He said it was important to note that some of the losers were facing serious charges that bordered on treason and it was the basis on which they were rejected.

"It is not that we hate them, but we want to protect our party, country and more importantly our President. They have failed the President," said Chipanga.

Political analyst Mr Alexander Kanengoni said the President derived his power from the people and it was on that basis that he consider what people said in the elections.

"The power to decide had been given to the people in their provinces and they have decided. It would be imprudent for someone to appoint those that have been rejected," said Mr Kanengoni.

Meanwhile, Vice President Joice Mujuru yesterday lost her bid to secure a Central Committee post after her district of origin, Mt Darwin rejected her application in elections that saw a number of other Zanu-PF bigwigs linked to her nefarious activities to oust President Mugabe also failing to make it.

Other Politburo member who suffered the same fate include Dzikamai Mavhaire in Masvingo, Tendai Savanhu in Harare, Francis Nhema, Flora Buka and Simbarashe Mumbengegwi in the Midlands and Naison Kutshwekhaya Ndlovu in Matebeleland.

VP Mujuru submitted her CV to the provincial elections directors which rejected it last Sunday on the basis that she was implicated in leading a faction that was plotting to assassinate President Mugabe.