Zanu-PF Politburo meets tomorrow to discuss disciplinary issues

The Zanu-PF Politburo meets in Harare tomorrow to discuss, among other things, disciplinary and economic issues.

The revolutionary party's secretary for Administration Ignatius Chombo confirmed the development yesterday.

"The Politburo is meeting on Thursday at 10am at the party headquarters," he said. "We are encouraging each and every member to come on time. On the agenda, we have got our routine issues which we always discuss, we discuss Zim-Asset, the situation in the country in terms of distribution of maize. Those are the key issues I think we will cover this week."

Asked on the disciplinary issues, Chombo said: "I am not sure of that because the chairman (of the National Disciplinary Committee) is Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko and I am not sure of what progress they have made."

The last Politburo meeting ordered the NDC to conduct hearings for all the members who were booted out of the party through votes of no confidence.

The hearings are for the affected members to give their sides of the story before a decision is taken.

The NDC went on to conduct hearings on Christopher Mutsvangwa, before setting up a sub-committee to look at the issues of the three suspended chairpersons of Midlands, Masvingo and Mashonaland East.

The chairpersons, Kizito Chivamba (Midlands), Ezra Chadzamira (Masvingo) and Joel Biggie Matiza were accused of insolence by Zanu-PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere.

The trio last week appeared before the sub-committee, which is chaired by Zanu-PF secretary for security Kembo Mohadi.

Pupurai Togarepi (secretary for youth affairs) and Eunice Sandi Moyo (Women's League deputy secretary) are the other members of the sub-committee.

Other members of the Youth League including Godwin Gomwe (suspended Harare chairperson) and Godfrey Tsenengamu (Mashonaland Central chair) were also expected to appear before the same committee yesterday.

Some members did not appear before the committee demanding a "clear clarification of the charges levelled against them as well as an understanding of who the complainant was."

"The letter which called me to the hearing does not disclose the complainant. The first paragraph of the letter gives the impression that the allegations only emerged at the National Disciplinary Committee meeting held on 17th February 2016," said Gomwe in a letter to Mohadi.

"This therefore tacitly implies that the NDC, which now seeks to adjudicate over the matter is in fact the complainant. That is improper.

"The NDC cannot be the jury and the judge at the same time. I therefore request the NDC sub-committee to furnish me with details of the complainant and how the NDC got to be seized with the matter."

He added: "The allegations levelled against me are plain and not factual. They lack specific details and substantiation as to how and when the offences were committed. All disciplinary processes should be conducted in accordance with the dictates of the party's Constitution more particularly Section 79 (1) and (2) under Article 10.

"On the foregoing, the hearing which the NDC sub-committee seeks to subject me to does not meet the requirements of the constitution and therefore is irregular."

The NDC is expected to report back to the Politburo.