US envoy dismiss Mugabe claims

UNITED States State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki has dismissed as unfounded claims by President Robert Mugabe that the US was in an unholy alliance with Vice President Joice Mujuru to assassinate him.

Psaki said the allegations were baseless and were unworthy of a response.

"Allegations made about the activities of the US embassy in Zimbabwe are baseless and do not merit a response," she said.

"The United States remains a steadfast friend of the Zimbabwean people."

Psaki's remarks follow Mugabe's claims on Saturday that Mujuru, who is seemingly out of her way from Zanu PF, was plotting with the US embassy to remove him from office.

Mugabe told about 12 000 members of the ruling Zanu PF party that his spies followed Mujuru to the embassy, where he said she held secret meetings to plan his assassination.

The three-day party congress formalised First Lady Grace's position as leader of the Zanu PF women's league, re-elected the 90-year-old Mugabe to a new five-year term as party president and authorised him to choose his vice-presidents and other top party officials.

"I am open to competition, but not when it involves taking me out the Kabila way," Mugabe said, referring to the former leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Laurent Kabila, who was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in 2001.

"I met Joice when she was a young kid in the war," he said.

"I strengthened her and even pushed her to get an education until she got a doctorate."

Mujuru became a member of the Cabinet at 25 when Mugabe was elected president in 1980.

Mugabe said his wife, Grace, pushed him to appoint Mujuru as vice-president in 2004.