Nicholas Goche bounces back

FORMER Labour minister Nicholas Goche has been reinstated in Zanu-PF following his suspension last year on allegations of working with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru in a plot to assassinate President Robert Mugabe

Goche's political career was given a new lease of life at Thursday's politburo meeting when his five-year suspension was lifted.

Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo was not reachable for comment yesterday, while party secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo was not picking calls.

But sources privy to the politburo proceedings told NewsDay that Goche's suspension was lifted following his appeal against his sentence.

"It was seen that Goche had shown remorse and his suspension was lifted," a party member said.

Zanu-PF is still to make a determination on several appeals by aggrieved party members.

About 50 members have appealed against their suspension and expulsion out of the 187 members who were shown the exit door in the aftermath of the party's December 2014 congress, which purged Mujuru, who now leads ZimPF. Some of the members whose appeals were still pending before the Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko-led appeals committee include former Indigenisation minister Francis Nhema and Information and Communications Technology minister Webster Shamu.

Goche, in November 2014, was accused of using his government business trip to Western Europe to make stopovers in Israel and South Africa to allegedly look for a hitman to assassinate Mugabe.

The former minister, however, denied the allegations.