Plot to expel Mujuru from Zanu-PF exposed

Zanu PF hawks that have successfully orchestrated former Vice-President Joice Mujuru's fall from the party and government are said to have put in place plans to put the final nail in the veteran liberation war fighter's political coffin.

The plot is to have her expelled from the party as early as the next politburo meeting expected this week.

The Standard on Sunday reported that the petition to have Mujuru and former party administrator Didymus Mutasa thrown into the party dustbin has already been drafted.

The plot may however fail to get the smooth flowing assent that Mujuru's fighters would have wanted because the former VP's home province, Mashonaland Central will not lead the expulsion campaign.

Zanu PF Mashonaland Central acting provincial chairman Dickson Mafios told The Standard in an interview yesterday that the province would not recommend Mujuru's ouster from the party although he said they would stand guided by the politburo's decision.

Mafios said Mujuru had done nothing to deserve the boot ever since she was emasculated during the party's December congress, which kicked her from the party's second top post and subsequently the office of VP.

"We haven't heard her speak anything contrary to the party position so we are only waiting for the politburo position on that one," Mafios said yesterday.

Mafios said he would give more detail after yesterday's provincial meeting in Mt Darwin but efforts to contact him later failed up to the time of going to print. His phone was no longer reachable.

The Mujuru camp has however vowed to fight from within the party, an indication they intend to resist expulsions. It is however not clear how they intend to achieve this as expulsion is the prerogative of the politburo from whence they have already been removed.

Expelled former spokesperson of the party Rugare Gumbo yesterday maintained that the Mujuru camp would not form a party but would live to fight for the restoration of order from within the party.

"We don't intend to form a party at all. We are fighting from within and Mai [Mrs] Mujuru has said she is not leaving the party, no one will push her out of the party. Mutasa has said he is not going to be pushed out of the party and my views have always been clear on that one," said the veteran politician yesterday.

Recent developments in the party however point at more expulsions taking place in the party. Upon his arrival from holiday last Thursday, President Robert Mugabe spoke of possible expulsions telling supporters that had gone to welcome him at the airport that he would advise them of any new expulsions that would take place on recommendations.

Impeccable sources said yesterday that Mujuru's political foes, led by the so-called "Gang of Four" was working day and night to permanently remove Mujuru from the party's succession matrix by stripping her of her party membership.

As of now, Mujuru stands a chance of bouncing back through nomination for election in the event that Mugabe resigns or gets incapacitated. Mujuru is believed to command massive following in the party despite her purging, a situation that threatens her enemies in the party.

Chances of her constitutionally landing the presidency in the event of Mugabe being unavailable to lead the country for any reason are believed to be high – making it an urgent necessity by her enemies to make her ineligible for contest.

Professor Jonathan Moyo, who is believed to be a member of the G4, all but revealed at a Sapes debate series last Thursday that he and a fellow member of the group, Saviour Kasukuwere were scheming to floor Mujuru completely. The Information minister said Mujuru would never resurrect.

Referring to a possibility of Mujuru's resurrection, Moyo said: "I am very sure, we have a very long way before the next election and those of us like the PC [Kasukuwere] here and others are at work and just watch the space and see what that work is going to be."

Moyo, whose strategy before the congress included roping in Mugabe's wife Grace to prevail over Mugabe to fire Mujuru, said he would make sure that the former VP would fall, never to rise again.

"Tactically, the Gang of 4 believes Mujuru has chosen not to respond leaving all the work to Mutasa who would fight to get her sacked from the party," a Zanu PF insider said.

"They fear that they can't manage her from within. The plan now is to push her out so that she is ineligible to contest if Mugabe decides to leave or is incapacitated."

Several Mujuru loyalists have been purged from the party and more are likely going to be fired as infighting continues in Mugabe's party, judging from the president's tone on Thursday.