Embattled Zanu PF to overhaul 'rotten' party structures

....As purge goes to lower structures

NEWLY appointed Zanu PF secretary for commissariat Saviour Kasukuwere has said the purge of Zanu PF members suspected to be loyal to ousted former Vice-President Joice Mujuru is set to cascade to lower structures of the party through a planned restructuring exercise.

Kasukuwere, revealed on Monday that the current party structures, used during the just-ended congress, were "rotten" and needed to be dismantled through a restructuring exercise once it is approved by the politburo and the central committee.

"We cannot have this rotten structure," he said in an interview on the sidelines of a Zinwa luncheon for outgoing chief executive officer Albert Muyambo.

"We will first wait for the politburo and the central committee to meet and give direction on how to tackle the issue, but as you know we have, almost in all provinces, acting chairpersons, definitely we will have to fill those positions and this will be done through election in accordance with the constitution and ;regulations of the party."

Prior to the congress held in Harare, party chairpersons aligned to Mujuru were firmly in control of structures. It took the entrance of First Lady, Grace Mugabe, into mainstream politics to change the status quo. The First Lady accused the chairpersons of working hand-in-glove with Mujuru to fan factionalism and plotting to topple President Robert Mugabe.

Eight provincial chairpersons and a number of their executives were booted out of office.

"We will definitely work on the (restructuring) exercise when the party gives direction because we cannot have acting chairpersons installed just like that. There will be elections to choose the substantive people for the positions," he said.

Mujuru was pushed out of the party's central committee and subsequently lost on the politburo slot, leading to her being dismissed as the party's vice president for 10 years.

She was later to be fired from the state office, resulting in her becoming the first vice-president since independence to get the boot.

Mujuru was dismissed from government along with eight cabinet ministers, who include former secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, among other top party officials accused of working with her to remove President Mugabe from office.

Although she has strenuously denied the allegations of plotting to assassinate President Mugabe, it did not stop the veteran politician to fire her and her cabal whom he said were also working with the opposition MDC and western countries in their regime change agenda.

Already the provincial structures in Manicaland have resolved to suspend for five years all those booted out through votes of no confidence, but Kasukuwere said the process to do so must be done after approval by the central committee and the politburo.