Let Mugabe rule, says Kasukuwere

President Robert Mugabe should be allowed to rule Zimbabwe despite turning 91 next month, Zanu-PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere said at the weekend.

While announcing the dissolution of Zanu-PF Mashonaland East's provincial acting executive, largely made up of remnants of the one led by Ray Kaukonde on Saturday, Kasukuwere claimed Zimbabweans "do not vote for people on account of their ages".

"People claim Mugabe is bad, Mugabe is old. We do not vote for a person's age but what he/she stands for. What if you are young and a criminal, young and crazy or young and a sell-out?,'' queried Kasukuwere

"No! We will not allow you to rule. The old man is ruling, President Robert Mugabe is in-charge. He has appointed his vice-presidents (Emmerson) Mnangagwa and (Phelekezela) Mphoko and we will support that leadership."

"When you hear a white man saying you are a good man, you must be very afraid. It means you are bad to your own people. I like it when the whites say Kasukuwere is a crazy man, which is very good because somebody needs to be crazy to white people to be good to black people".

He said the noose was closing in on those implicated in the sensational claims that they wanted to assassinate President Mugabe.

"We are chasing the likes of Kaukonde (Ray former provincial chairperson) because they were running around with funny agendas and we said the same with Mai Mujuru (Joice) that she was following a sinister agenda and you can go and tell her, we have no apologies to make for that. We went through difficulties in the central committee and politburo because of people who wanted to push their agendas. Some will come to me and claim that they are clean and were never connected to the agenda (to remove President Mugabe) (sic)," the boisterous politician said.

Mujuru, Zimbabwe's former vice-president hit by the Zanu-PF political whirlwind that swept through the ex-guerrilla movement in the last four months of 2014 was accused of being the brains behind an elaborate plot to "take-out" President Mugabe allegedly with assistance from the United States. Also in the mix were then party secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, Labour minister Nicholas Goche and deposed former party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo. They have all denied the charges against them amid reports police last week asked for an executive order to charge Mujuru.

"We should never let individual ambition supersede the party ambition, that is not how Zanu-PF has taught you. This province had allowed high level infiltration and was swayed off-course to the extent of embarrassing the First Lady. The net is closing in and we will not spare them,'' Kasukuwere declared.

"The party has one leader and we have continuously chosen him in all our congresses, it is therefore treacherous to think that anyone can replace him (President Robert Mugabe) in that portrait."

The Phenias Chihota-led acting provincial leadership has come under fire in the past two weeks from party supporters during meetings organised to welcome new Provincial Affairs minister Joel Biggie Matiza.

Matiza seen as the only high-ranking pro-Mnangagwa leader in the province had a tough time trying to convince hardliners that he did not have power to dissolve the acting leadership and reportedly facilitated Kasukuwere's whistle-stop visit.

The provincial minister was appointed deputy chairperson of the new interim executive that will be fronted by ex-cabinet minister Aeneas Chigwedere, plucked from the Zanu-PF political dustbin and thrust into the hot-seat in absentia.

With jostling for top position reaching fever pitch, Matiza is now seen as the front-runner to take charge of the province as chairperson amid indications there are serious plots and counter-plots to undercut him by those allegedly benefiting from "protection fees paid by commercial white farmers".

"There are politicians and high ranking members of the military benefitting from the remaining white farmers. The fact that Matiza has threatened to kick-out the remaining white farmers has unsettled a lot of people and they are fighting tooth and nail to stop his rise to power," a senior party member in the province told The Zimbabwe Mail.

Kasukuwere, in an interview after the announcement of the dissolution and appointment said those who fell by the wayside after votes of no-confidence were passed on them ahead of congress would not be allowed to contest the internal elections in the "Zanu-PF renewal process".

"Of course they will not be allowed because they were rejected by the people. They need re-orientation first," he said.