'Didymus Mutasa must go now'

MINISTER of Presidential Affairs Didymus Mutasa, who is being implicated in the plot to assassinate President Mugabe, should step down with immediate effect, said a Zanu-PF Central Committee member in Manicaland.

In a no-holds-barred interview on Tuesday at her Tasendekera Farm in Penhalonga, the outspoken legislator for Makoni South, Mandi Chimene, said: "We have the likes of Didymus Mutasa being implicated in President Mugabe's assassination plot and being the Minister of Presidential Affairs, he no longer qualifies to hold such a portfolio because he can be feeding President Mugabe with wrong information for selfish gains."

Chimene, who was firing from the hip, accused Mutasa of being the man behind all the problems bedevilling Zanu-PF in Manicaland.

She said Mutasa, being the most senior person in the province, was to blame for factionalism and all other problems haunting the smooth running of Zanu-PF in Manicaland.

"The problem is that we have leaders like Didymus Mutasa who are always out to pursue selfish agendas. They have ambitions and they try to whip everyone to follow their line of thinking. Manicaland is one of the best provinces in the country, but it is always suffering from leadership crisis. There is gross corruption in Manicaland with girlfriends and concubines of some chefs having farms at the expense of deserving cadres.

"The suspension of three Manicaland provincial co-ordination committee members Cdes Mvundura, Kasu and Kaunye is a welcome development because they were using their positions to whip people into their line of thinking.

"There was no longer freedom of expression in the party as people were made to think in one way.
"Some of us were told in our face that we should forget about having a seat in the Central Committee. The same applies to the likes of Muchinguri," said Chimene.

She said as a way of stopping the madness associated with the jostling for positions, President Mugabe should appoint the two Vice-Presidents.

"We know that there were people angling for positions in the party's presidium and I am in full support with the decision taken by the Politburo that only President Mugabe must stand for elections at the forthcoming National People's Congress to be held in Harare.

"President Mugabe should choose people he trusts to be around him and not to surround him with wolves clothed in sheep skin.

"We have learnt from past mistakes and this should be corrected once and for all. We cannot allow our icon to be surrounded by sell-outs busy plotting his ouster and assassination. We have opened our eyes now and we will not tolerate any nonsense," added Chimene in a telephone interview on Wednesday night.