Mutasa on the cross

Former Presidential Affairs minister and ex-Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, needs to come to terms with the "fact that he is no longer party chief", the ruling party's new information czar, Simon Khaya-Moyo, has said.

Having been on "mute" mode as the party was literally on fire, Khaya-Moyo yesterday issued a statement condemning Mutasa's claims that the former liberation movement's 6th national people's congress was a "dump squib", adding that the five yearly party indaba was convened "in terms of the party's constitution" and "in terms of the same constitution, the secretary for administration is the one at the centre of convening that congress".

"Accordingly, it is deeply worrying that the former secretary for administration, Cde DNE Mutasa, has set to issue disparaging remarks regarding our last congress when he was, in keeping with the party constitution, the one responsible for the convening of that congress as well as inviting delegates to the same congress. Mutasa's remarks are, therefore, extremely absurd in the circumstances," Khaya Moyo said.

"He needs to appreciate and come  to terms with the fact that he is no longer the Zanu-PF secretary for administration. His feeble attempt to dismiss a constitutionally convened congress is ridiculous in the extreme and needs to be dismissed as we hereby do with the contempt it deserves."

In the aftermath of the party congress that resulted in the elevation of, among others, new vice presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, Mutasa last week issued a stinging statement demanding that the party reverts to the pre-6th December leadership.

"The sad events of the past months reflect a deep-seated historical failure by the party leadership to correctly handle internal contradictions in the party. Each time the party faces challenges, it resorts to brute force," Mutasa wrote.

"It fails to sum up its mistakes and experiences and provide durable solutions. Contradictions within the party and society as a whole are natural and expected, but these are non antagonistic and should be resolved through debate, dialogue and negotiations."

But as the former Zanu-PF strongman's woes continued to mount, acting president Emmerson Mnangagwa told a rally in Mvuma on Saturday that Mutasa had been hoisted by his own petard.

"Mutasa lost central committee elections in a free and fair manner and his son was one of the presiding officers. The votes were counted in his presence and he came out with the least votes. It is not the problem of Midlands, it's not Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland North or South, not even Harare. It is Manicaland which rejected him. He must blame them and his son for counting the votes that allowed him to lose," said Mnangagwa. "Leaders' energy should be channeled towards enhancing democracy, freedom and unity within the party."

Mutasa, once the party's feared secretary for administration and self styled Manicaland political godfather, lost his loft positions both in the party and government on allegations he had connived with axed vice-president Joice Mujuru in an elaborate plot to remove President Mugabe from power.

Along with former Labour minister Nicholas Goche, as well as the party's then secretary for information Rugare Gumbo, they were accused of having hatched a sinister plot to assassinate the president, including seeking assistance from external forces to hire hit-men for the hatchet job.

Mutasa said he had signed the statement on behalf of "the entire membership of the party who believe in constitutional law and authority, and the principle of one-man one-vote", as well as "all elected office bearers who have been unconstitutionally and unceremoniously removed from office without charge".

Mutasa's statement "categorically" refuted and dismissed all the allegations "peddled by certain counter-revolutionaries" that Mujuru plotted against the president, arguing that it was a "preposterous and clear political smear campaign intended to tarnish and obliterate Amai Mujuru's history of commitment and dedication to the liberation of this country".

Mutasa lampooned the "illegitimate congress" arguing that according to the party's constitution, a true Zanu-PF congress must be elective, providing a free and fair platform for all the party members to elect leaders of their choice without intimidation, victimisation, fear or trepidation.

The former cabinet minister said the meetings in the run-up to the congress late last year were characterised by fear and intimidation, as well as trepidation.

"It will go down in the annals of our Zanu-PF history that for the first time, the elected leader alienated himself from the people by this behaviour.  Instead of mapping the road for Zimbabwe's economic recovery and major policies uplifting our people, the congress became a farce and degenerated into a praise and worship playhouse," said Mutasa.

However, Khaya-Moyo, who, for years was linked to Mujuru's faction, said the claims were absurd because "the amendments to the party constitution were completely procedural as they were discussed by the politburo, approved by the central committee and endorsed by congress".