Mugabe's party has no time for discussing 'WhatsApp' says Minister

ZANU-PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere yesterday said Zanu-PF had no time discussing social media issues in its Politburo meetings, accusing the media of trying to craft the agenda for the ruling party.

Speaking to journalists after meeting the party's provincial chairpersons and some members of its affiliate organisations in Harare yesterday, Kasukuwere said Zanu-PF had serious issues to discuss.

His remarks differ from party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo's assertion that the abuse of social media by some party members was cause for concern and might be up for discussion at the Politburo meeting set for next Wednesday.

Organs of the party such as the Youth League have also expressed grave concern over the abuse of social media, while the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, which is an affiliate organisation, also registered displeasure on the same issue with the police weighing saying social .

The concerns came in the wake of frenzied tweeting by Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, who has been attacking fellow Zanu-PF members on social media.

Said Kasukuwere: "I am actually surprised that you make social media an issue. It's not an issue and we hear you telling us about the Zanu-PF Politburo agenda. You think we meet here to talk about WhatsApp?

"We meet here to discuss serious business, so stop dragging us into your small issues of the social media. We have much more serious work to do. We have much more serious things to worry about. That kind of directionlessness will not be part of what Zanu-PF stands for.

"We are surprised that you have already crafted an agenda for the Politburo when it meets. That agenda is approved by His Excellency and the secretary for administration. They are the ones who work on what the party will discuss and I want to say please no to agenda setting.

"We don't discuss what you want us to discuss. We discuss issues that affect the generality of our party membership and how to assist the people of Zimbabwe."

Kasukuwere said social media was not an issue to the party.

"I want to say to the Press please, please don't misquote us and don't turn around and make social media an issue," he said. "It's not an issue for us here. If it is an issue to you, let it be to you, but for Zanu-PF we are clear on what we stand for."

When asked that President Mugabe in his official capacity as the First Secretary of Zanu-PF once implored party members from abusing social media, Kasukuwere interjected and said: "Don't create problems to say Kasukuwere has gone against ah, ah no, no, please I have said don't agenda set for the party.

"Please let the party do its work. If we are to discuss anything of that nature, can't you allow us to discuss it quietly in our confines as a party?

"Why does it have to be the President said this, the President said this. Aah, aah, please when the President speaks we all listen to him, but don't then go overboard and try and blow things out of proportion. The party is intact."

Without elaborating, Kasukuwere said in a few days there would be some action to show support and loyalty to President Mugabe.

Kasukuwere said the party was ready for the 2018 elections and next week the commissariat department would be meeting provincial structures, starting with Matabeleland South.

He said he was not happy with the kind of reportage coming from the public media.

"We want to call upon our State-owned newspapers to help build the party," he said.

''Like I said, let us not allow individual desires to become national desires. We have a country, we have a party, we have a leadership.

"I am appealing to the Press, please tone down the volume. We are not excited at all with the amount of noise that continues to occupy the front pages of this country. We deserve better news. We deserve better stories that unite, develop and move our nation forward. We are making a genuine appeal to all the leadership in the media that let us build our nation."

Kasukuwere said the party leadership should disseminate developmental information on Zim-Asset and how the party and Government were dealing with challenges confronting the country.