Mugabe chickens out, defers politburo again

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has, for the second time inside one week, postponed his party's politburo meeting to tomorrow raising speculation that the Zanu-PF leader was hesitant to meet his peers following his wife Grace's recent acerbic verbal attacks on Vice-President Joice Mujuru and other top party officials.

The potentially volatile meeting was initially scheduled to take place yesterday before it was moved to today and later, Friday.

First Lady Grace Mugabe caused a storm in Zanu-PF over the past two weeks when, during her "Meet the People Tours" across the country, tore into Mujuru's camp accusing it of fanning factionalism. She also described the Vice-President as corrupt, jealous, divisive and no longer suitable to remain in the Presidium.

The First Lady threatened to force her husband to dump Mujuru at the party's elective congress in December. She also sensationally claimed that opposition MDC and Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn parties were both formed at Mujuru's house, adding that the Vice-President was harbouring ambitions to topple her husband.

Since then, Grace has avoided meeting Mujuru and snubbed her twice at the Harare International Airport when the First Family left for Rome, Italy on Friday night and on their return on Tuesday.

Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo yesterday confirmed the postponement of the meeting to tomorrow saying Mugabe had other pressing commitments.

"Yes, the meeting has been postponed to tomorrow to allow the President to go ahead with his earlier scheduled programmes," Gumbo said.

Political analysts yesterday said the continued postponement of the crunch politburo meeting signalled tension within the ruling party.

"It's a high stake meeting. There could be discussions going on before the meeting," analyst Ernest Mudzengi said.

Another analyst, Charles Mangongera said the postponements could be part of a strategy to allow tempers to cool down or enable Mugabe to gauge the mood in both camps before bringing them to the negotiating table.

"There could be practical reasons for postponing it. They want to deal with tension in the party. Obviously, for the past two days, there could have been people stampeding to brief Mugabe of the developments and he could be buying time to assess the submissions by both camps," Mangongera said.

Grace, who today is expected to host a faction of the war veterans association and collaborators at her Mazowe Orphanage, has angered several party officials who yesterday vowed to ensure she was reined in at the politburo meeting.

Politburo member and former Midlands governor, Cephas Msipa yesterday said: "The First Lady has been going around the country insulting people, people are angry, people are bitter, party members are not happy with what she did.

"People from Bulawayo are likely to raise the issue on Friday, after she accused them of dividing the party and being preoccupied with Zapu."

Msipa said he was bemused that people were being castigated for canvassing for the Vice-Presidency, saying they had the right to campaign for the post.

"As former Zapu, we chose SK (Simon Khaya Moyo), but (Phelekezela) Mphoko, (Kembo) Mohadi and (Naison) Khutshwekhaya (Ndlovu) do not want him, as they feel they are suitable for the post," he said.

Ndlovu has since dropped from the race, throwing his lot behind Mphoko, while former Zipra stalwart, Ambrose Mutinhiri was the other candidate for the post.