Mujuru and her allies skips third straight Zanu-PF indaba

VICE PRESIDENT Joice Mujuru and her allies, secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and Secretary for Transport and Welfare Nicholas Goche - who have been implicated in the plot to oust the President - were again conspicuous by their absence, marking the third straight indaba they have missed after last week's Politburo meeting, the one held Tuesday and yesterday's Central Committee meeting.

Mutasa and expelled former spokesperson Rugare Gumbo were quoted saying if President Mugabe blocked VP Mujuru's ascendancy, he will be shot and deposed the Kabila way. Former DRC president Laurent-Désiré Kabila was assassinated by a member of his security team on January 18, 2001.

Mugabe said following Zanu-PF's resounding victory in last year's elections, most people thought the party was united yet VP Mujuru and her allies were colluding with the MDC-T and had tried to postpone the holding of the elections.

A key member of the Mujuru faction, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti - who is also Provincial Affairs Minister for Masvingo province - was recently quoted in the Masvingo Mirror saying the inclusive Government worked better than the all Zanu-PF government that followed last year's harmonised elections.

Mugabe said because of VP Mujuru's machinations a lot of party cadres had been hoodwinked into following her plots thinking they were preparing for their future.

He added that VP Mujuru had also consulted traditional healers to get charms that would help her ascend to the Presidency and had also tried to get blessings from the leader of the Johane Marange Apostolic Sect in Manicaland in a desperate attempt to lead the country.

Mugabe said the leader of the Church refused to grant her the blessing as the doctrine of the Church did not allow them to do that since leaders were appointed by God.

Mugabe said during the liberation struggle it was unheard of that people would jostle for positions saying the practice then was to wait to be elevated by the people.

Mugabe said Mujuru had tried to block the ascension of the First Lady to lead the Women's League despite the support she had received from the women, the youth and other party structures.

Mugabe added that he had witnessed a number of revolts in the party dating back to the days of the liberation struggle in the 1970s.

He said people like Rugare Gumbo, were part of the rebellions and were repeating their acts again.

Mugabe said the ongoing Congress was supposed to shape the future of the party and ensure that it was left in capable hands.

He accused VP Mujuru of working with Europeans and Americans in a mistaken belief that they would pour billions of dollars into the country's economy.