Zanu-PF politburo meets today

ZANU-PF politburo is meeting today to discuss several issues affecting the party and the economy in light of the persistent cash shortages.

Party secretary for information and publicity Simon Khaya Moyo confirmed the meeting although he declined to reveal its agenda.

The politburo meeting will be followed by the Central Committee meeting tomorrow and the National Consultative Assembly on Friday.

"Yes, the politburo is meeting tomorrow but I can't tell you the agenda," he said.

"We've never discussed the agenda of the Politburo in the media. In any case, the issue of the agenda falls under the administration department, so you can get in touch with (Ignatius) Chombo who is the secretary for administration."

Chombo could not be reached for comment last night as his mobile phone went unanswered.

Last week, Chombo said all the three meetings would be chaired by President Mugabe in his capacity as the First Secretary of Zanu-PF.

It is understood that economic issues and discipline will take centre stage during today's meeting.

Khaya Moyo was quoted recently chiding party members for committing efforts towards the succession debate at the expense of service delivery.

The meeting also comes as a precursor to the meeting of the Appeals Committee, which is expected to deal with all appeals of suspended and fired members.

Tomorrow's Central Committee meeting is likely to deliberate on the issue of the suspension of party members.

At the last Central Committee in April, President Mugabe called for unity in the revolutionary party and its affiliate organisations.

This has, however, remained a pipe dream as evidenced by some retrogressive public pronouncements by affiliate organisations and some party members.

Party cadres have continued to attack each other in public and through the media, defying President Mugabe's call for them to raise their concerns through party structures.

At the April Central Committee meeting, President Mugabe said: "Some people are working on the succession issue. Where will it be in the event that the President goes?

"And that there are factions, factions that accuse each other and found a rival boxing ground which is that of opposition papers. That's where the fighting takes place. This said against someone.

"That, someone also sometimes in defence, but sometimes almost on his own offensive way makes a critical statement damaging the other side.

"It's not just the newspapers, the opposition papers that constitute the fighting ground, it's also the Internet I understand.

"The Internet where I understand we get all kinds of abuses on the party, of individuals, all of us who hold positions, or attacks on one occasion or another. And there are no holds at all then. The language is primitive, abusive and quite rotten, and people take cover because the Internet nets shields them… I don't know whether that way we can achieve true unity. We may have physical togetherness as we are now bodies together, but the minds now quite in contest with each other."