Mugabe calls Mujuru and Mutasa 'thieves'

PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday blasted Vice President Joice Mujuru and Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa saying they behaved like thieves by suspiciously boycotting three politburo meetings.

Mugabe made the remarks in his keynote speech marking the official opening of Zanu PF's sixth national congress in Harare.

"You see they are not here today," he said.

"We wanted them to come so that they would meet you. We did not stop them, but they just sneaked without informing us like thieves."

Earlier in his speech, Mugabe "apologised" to the delegates for the conduct of some top party leaders, particularly the public brawls that enveloped the party in the past three months.

He said such behaviour was not consistent with good leadership.

"We have not behaved in a manner that showed we are united," he said.

"We were all working for the party. Some failed us while some of us failed you."

Mugabe said the events had left him with a deep sense of sorrow that as leadership they had failed to lead by example.

He added: "Our constitution says that the disciplining of a member is done by the provincial executives and thus we should adhere to the constitution and not use our hatred in disciplining those we disagree with."

In the two months leading to congress, nine provincial chairpersons and others perceived Mujuru allies were summarily suspended or dismissed from the party without following due process.

The congress, which ends tomorrow, is being attended by about 12 000 delegates and is expected to endorse Mugabe as the life-president of the party with powers to appoint all other party leaders.

The 90-year-old party leader, who has been at the helm since independence in 1980, would now have unfettered powers to appoint his deputies, national chairman and all politburo members.