Zanu-PF top official discusses assassination plot

Zanu-PF Politburo member Nicholas Goche opened up recently on the sidelines of meetings he held with officials from the Zimbabwe Sugar Cane Milling Union in Chiredzi that war was imminent in Zanu-PF as some people will be shot in the run-up to the 6th National People's Congress which begins in Harare early next month, Herald reported on Saturday.

Goche's utterances, which dovetail with pronouncements by Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and deposed spokesperson Rugare Gumbo - who were recorded saying if President Mugabe blocked Vice President Joice Mujuru's ascendancy he would be shot and deposed the Kabila way - indicate that something ominous was in the offing in Zanu-PF ahead of the congress.

DRC President Desire Laurent Kabila was deposed by a member of his security team in 2001.

Goche attended a meeting at Wild Ox Club and Mteri Lodge in Chiredzi on September 7 this year where he was told of problems afflicting the sugar cane milling union, and on the sidelines of the meeting he told the union's secretary-general Edmore Hwarare that what was taking place in the Zimbabwe Sugar Cane Milling Union was not war as real war was coming in the run-up to the congress when guns would be fired and people he didn't mention would be "flushed down the toilet".

Vice President Mujuru is the patron of the Zimbabwe Sugar Cane Millers Union.

Goche, in the conversation with Hwarare, revealed that the fighting that was taking place in the Sugar Cane Union was not the actual war as the real war would be at the Zanu-PF congress.

Members of the President's Office Messrs Muza, Chikanya and Peter Saburi, along with  party legislators for Chiredzi East Cdes Denford Masiya and Chiredzi West Darlington Chiwa attended the meeting.

Goche spoke to Hwarare saying the fighting that was taking place in the union was not war as the real war was coming in the homestretch to congress.

"Yamunayo kuno haisi hondo, real war is coming ahead of Congress. Pfuti dzicharira (what you have here is not war, real war is coming, shots will be fired)," he said.

Hwarare claimed to be the chief donor in Chiredzi, donating towards the party and local police in the form of vehicles and motorbikes.

Party supporters in Masvingo have expressed concern at the party leadership that they accused of using money from some sugar cane companies to sponsor factional wars.

Contacted for comment last night, Goche confirmed the meeting with Hwarare, but refuted making the statements about pending war in Zanu-PF.

"Who did I say the words to?" he said. "There were so many people at the meeting and five of my directors were there including the deputy minister (Tongai Muzenda). That is nonsense, nekuti kune Politburo mangwana (today) makuda kusvibisa vanhu."

War veterans and political analysts have since called for the removal of Goche from both the Politburo and the Government where he is the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare after he was implicated in hiring hit men to assassinate President Mugabe.

The analysts and war veterans accused Goche of being ungrateful after President Mugabe appointed him to serve in his Government despite the fact that he did not have liberation war credentials, but still had the guts to plot to unseat him.

Goche is said to have made contingencies for the assassination of President Mugabe during his recent meetings with potential hit men in South Africa and Israel.

He allegedly used the cover of official Government business in Western Europe to make stops in Israel and South Africa to look for a hitman in pursuance of the plots which led to the suspension of Gumbo.

Goche is one of those senior Government and Zanu-PF officials singled out for working with VP Mujuru to unseat President Mugabe in their bid to effect illegal regime change in Zimbabwe.