News / National
Mugabe to decide Mutasa's
05 Feb 2015 at 12:22hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe will decide if embattled former Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, will continue as the vice-chairperson of the Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ) - initiated by the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo as a development vehicle - following his fall-out with the ruling party, it has been learnt.
Mutasa was appointed by Mugabe - who is the patron of DTZ - as part of a 15-member board chaired by the current Zanu-PF spokesperson and Economic Planning minister, Simon Khaya Moyo, in August last year.
However, following his ejection from the Zanu-PF politburo during the party's congress in December last year, after losing his Manicaland central committee seat, Mutasa was also stripped of his ministerial portfolio after it was discovered he was allegedly plotting with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru to depose President Mugabe.
Following the move, Mutasa, who is now facing disciplinary action within the ruling party, has gone bellicose, attacking his former party, prompting Mugabe to call him a "braying stray ass".
In an interview yesterday, the DTZ chairperson, Moyo, said only President Mugabe as patron would deal with the issue of Mutasa's continued membership of the development vehicle's body.
"I can't say anything now until the president comes back and looks at the issue," he said.
Apart from Mutasa, the 15- member DTZ board also has fired Cabinet ministers, Francis Nhema who was in charge of the Youth, Indigenisation, and Economic Empowerment portfolio and Dzikamai Mavhaire who was Energy and Power Development minister.
Nhema – who is former husband to one of the late Nkomo's daughters, Sehlule - lost in Zanu-PF elections in the Midlands while Mavhaire lost in Masvingo in the run-up to the party's congress in December last year as they were also suspected to be part of the cabal that supported Mujuru in her alleged scheme to depose President Mugabe.
DTZ has five subsidiaries, Greencroft Coffee, Mutilikwe Sugar Company, Zangrindar, DTZ OZGIO and Nuanesti Ranch.
At the weekend, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko visited Arda Balu Estate where canning equipment imported by the late VP Nkomo more than a decade ago, under the auspices of DTZ, is still lying idle.
Mphoko expressed concern over lack of production at the estate, including the equipment which VP Nkomo procured and was not being used.
The equipment was supposed to be used for a canning project.
But the DTZ chairperson, Moyo, said he could not comment on the issue of the canning equipment.
"We are waiting for the president to come back and then we will have a meeting after which a statement will be issued," he said.
Moyo would not be drawn into saying when the meeting would be held.
Mutasa was appointed by Mugabe - who is the patron of DTZ - as part of a 15-member board chaired by the current Zanu-PF spokesperson and Economic Planning minister, Simon Khaya Moyo, in August last year.
However, following his ejection from the Zanu-PF politburo during the party's congress in December last year, after losing his Manicaland central committee seat, Mutasa was also stripped of his ministerial portfolio after it was discovered he was allegedly plotting with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru to depose President Mugabe.
Following the move, Mutasa, who is now facing disciplinary action within the ruling party, has gone bellicose, attacking his former party, prompting Mugabe to call him a "braying stray ass".
In an interview yesterday, the DTZ chairperson, Moyo, said only President Mugabe as patron would deal with the issue of Mutasa's continued membership of the development vehicle's body.
"I can't say anything now until the president comes back and looks at the issue," he said.
Apart from Mutasa, the 15- member DTZ board also has fired Cabinet ministers, Francis Nhema who was in charge of the Youth, Indigenisation, and Economic Empowerment portfolio and Dzikamai Mavhaire who was Energy and Power Development minister.
Nhema – who is former husband to one of the late Nkomo's daughters, Sehlule - lost in Zanu-PF elections in the Midlands while Mavhaire lost in Masvingo in the run-up to the party's congress in December last year as they were also suspected to be part of the cabal that supported Mujuru in her alleged scheme to depose President Mugabe.
DTZ has five subsidiaries, Greencroft Coffee, Mutilikwe Sugar Company, Zangrindar, DTZ OZGIO and Nuanesti Ranch.
At the weekend, Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko visited Arda Balu Estate where canning equipment imported by the late VP Nkomo more than a decade ago, under the auspices of DTZ, is still lying idle.
Mphoko expressed concern over lack of production at the estate, including the equipment which VP Nkomo procured and was not being used.
The equipment was supposed to be used for a canning project.
But the DTZ chairperson, Moyo, said he could not comment on the issue of the canning equipment.
"We are waiting for the president to come back and then we will have a meeting after which a statement will be issued," he said.
Moyo would not be drawn into saying when the meeting would be held.
Source - Zim Mail
