Mutasa booted out of Zanu-PF

OUSTED Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa has been booted out of the party by the Manicaland provincial coordinating committee (PCC), following his hard-hitting statement on Monday denouncing the December congress and the appointments of Vice-Presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko.

This comes as Acting President Mnangagwa's wife, Auxillia, yesterday increased her chances of taking over her husband's parliamentary seat after she submitted her CV to contest in the Chirumanzi-Zibagwe by-election on a Zanu-PF ticket.

At the PCC meeting in Manicaland, chaired by Energy minister Samuel Undenge, the motion to expel Mutasa was moved and seconded by politburo members Oppah Muchinguri and Patrick Chinamasa, respectively.

Zanu-PF national youth affairs deputy secretary Kudzai Chipanga spoke strongly in support of Mutasa's expulsion. Earlier, the Youth League issued a statement calling for Mutasa's expulsion.

National secretary for youth affairs Pupurai Togarepi said: "Zanu-PF Youth League feels annoyed and disturbed by some members of the party who are failing to uphold its fundamental principles. We, therefore, view Mr DNE Mutasa and his cabal as unrepentant people in the party who have no respect for our president, Cde RG (Robert Gabriel) Mugabe and the party constitution."

He added: "We would like to call upon those that are behind Mr Mutasa to stop abusing this weak old man for their selfish, counter-revolutionary and destructive agendas that have already destroyed the likes of the former vice-president, Cde Mujuru."

Senior party officials who attended the meeting included Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandi Chimene.

Mutasa becomes the fourth high-ranking Zanu-PF official to be expelled from Zanu-PF since the purging of the Mujuru faction started in October last year ahead of the congress held in December. Former party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, War veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda and Chipinge South legislator Enoch Porusingazi have all been booted out

The politburo will at its next meeting make the final determination on the expulsion.

Zanu-PF officials who attended the meeting said Mutasa was expelled from the party for writing to Sadc leaders a strongly-worded letter in December imploring them to intervene in the country's deepening political crisis spawned by the brutal internal fighting in the party.

The Manicaland provincial leaders accused Mutasa of being disrespectful to Mugabe and the party in the statement he released on Monday.

A top Manicaland provincial leader told the Zimbabwe Independent yesterday: "I can confirm that Mutasa was expelled at the PCC meeting. Many people spoke in support of Mutasa's expulsion."

Meanwhile, Midlands Zanu-PF spokesperson Cornelius Mpereri confirmed yesterday after a PCC meeting that Auxillia, Zanu-PF's deputy secretary for environment and tourism, was the only candidate to submit her CV.

A source at the meeting said the party's national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere introduced Auxilia and told other aspiring candidates that they should look at themselves in the mirror first before submitting their CVs for consideration.

It is understood that over 10 Zanu-PF party cadres were eyeing the seat left vacant following Mnangagwa's appointment as Vice-President last month.

There were also unconfirmed reports that Mnangagwa's eldest son Emmerson Jnr, who represents Kiekie district in the provincial structures, was also interested in the vacant seat, whose by-election has been set for March 27.

Another by-election is set to be held on the same date in Mt Darwin West previously held by Mujuru.

Mnangagwa officially bade farewell to the Midlands province saying he was now "a bigger servant of the people".