News / National
Ex-minister accused of plotting to kill Mugabe
18 Jul 2015 at 14:36hrs | Views
Former Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti was expelled from Zanu-PF on allegations he wanted to kill President Robert Mugabe, the Supreme Court was told yesterday.
Bhasikiti was fired from the ruling party in May as part of an unprecedented purge that targeted former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and her supporters.
Mujuru was accused of plotting to unseat Mugabe through a bloody coup, an allegation the former liberation war fighter has dismissed as baseless.
Bhasikiti yesterday unsuccessfully sought to challenge a High Court ruling that dismissed his application against the Zanu-PF expulsion.
He said the reasons for his expulsion were not communicated to him by Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo. However, through his lawyer Tendai Biti, the MP revealed he was accused of plotting to assassinate Mugabe.
Biti told the Supreme Court that Chombo had not communicated to his client the reasons for his expulsion and that the Zanu-PF central committee had not sat to make any decision against the expelled Mwenezi East MP.
"The (High Court) judge (Justice Chinembiri Bhunu) got it wrong," Biti said.
"Zanu-PF just said 'You wanted to assassinate the President and you must go' without following due process. One cannot give a dog a bad name and then kill it.
"Up to now, the appellant does not know why he was expelled. Nothing has yet been communicated to him and Chombo has not advised him."
Bhasikiti was fired from the ruling party in May as part of an unprecedented purge that targeted former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and her supporters.
Mujuru was accused of plotting to unseat Mugabe through a bloody coup, an allegation the former liberation war fighter has dismissed as baseless.
Bhasikiti yesterday unsuccessfully sought to challenge a High Court ruling that dismissed his application against the Zanu-PF expulsion.
He said the reasons for his expulsion were not communicated to him by Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo. However, through his lawyer Tendai Biti, the MP revealed he was accused of plotting to assassinate Mugabe.
Biti told the Supreme Court that Chombo had not communicated to his client the reasons for his expulsion and that the Zanu-PF central committee had not sat to make any decision against the expelled Mwenezi East MP.
"The (High Court) judge (Justice Chinembiri Bhunu) got it wrong," Biti said.
"Zanu-PF just said 'You wanted to assassinate the President and you must go' without following due process. One cannot give a dog a bad name and then kill it.
"Up to now, the appellant does not know why he was expelled. Nothing has yet been communicated to him and Chombo has not advised him."
Source - newsday
