Mutasa's letter to Sadc disappears

FORMER Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa's letter to Sadc leaders seems to have disappeared, as President Robert Mugabe and his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, say they have not received it.

Asked if Mugabe was going to respond to Mutasa's letter, presidential spokesman George Charamba yesterday said he had not seen the letter.

"We have not seen that letter, we did not receive that letter," he said.

When further pressed on whether Mugabe, the Sadc chairman, would respond to Mutasa's letter if he finally received it, Charamba became evasive.

"Why are you more concerned about the letter than him?" he asked.

"We have not seen that letter that is all. I am sure you are even aware that South Africa has given the same response."

On Sunday, Zuma's spokesman Mac Maharaj said he had not seen the letter Mutasa sent to the South African leader.

Mutasa on the other hand, insists he sent the letter to Mugabe and other Sadc leaders and expects a response.

Mugabe, in his capacity as Sadc chairman, is supposed to respond to Mutasa's complaints about the procedures of the Zanu PF congress last month, something that may be embarrassing for the veteran leader.

Mutasa wrote what has been described as a damning letter to Sadc leaders, complaining about the Zanu PF congress and how the party's constitution had been disregarded.

Matters are likely to heat up when Mugabe returns from his annual holiday, as Mutasa insists that he wants a response from the Sadc chairman.

Mutasa has been the most vocal of axed Zanu PF members, asserting that the party's congress last month was illegal.

Meanwhile, disgruntled Zanu PF officials agitating for the nullification of the party's December congress resolutions have reportedly instructed their lawyers to attach on their court application affidavits by party members who were allegedly forced to sign vote-of-no-confidence petitions against perceived allies of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

This comes at a time the Mujuru camp claims that it has unearthed fresh evidence suggesting that the no-confidence votes passed on several Zanu PF provincial executives ahead of the congress were stagemanaged and spearheaded by State security apparatus.

"The lawyers were instructed to include that in their application," a source close to the camp said yesterday.

"Affidavits of people harassed will be attached.

"There were people from State security who would visit officials early in the morning, in most cases around 2am to harass them and force them into signing the petitions.

"This (harassment) happened across provinces and we have several people who were tortured and harassed."