Mutasa faces expulsion

via Mutasa faces expulsion | The Herald January 15, 2015

ZANU-PF’S Manicaland Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meets in Mutare today with the fate of former secretary for Administration Cde Didymus Mutasa topping the agenda amid a growing chorus from all provinces for his immediate dismissal for behaviour inconsistent with the revolutionary party’s principles.

Cde Mutasa, now an ordinary card-carrying member, issued a statement to the private media on Tuesday in the name of the Zanu-PF secretary for Administration challenging the outcome of the Zanu-PF 6th National People’s Congress held in December.

Congress witnessed the elevation of Cdes Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko to the vice presidency and the demotion of former Vice President Joice Mujuru to a mere card-carrying member.

Provincial chairpersons linked to Dr Mujuru were removed through votes of no confidence, while former Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo and erstwhile Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairman Jabulani Sibanda were expelled.

Dr Mujuru and her cabal were accused of working to undermine, depose and/or assassinate President Mugabe whom they accused of blocking Dr Mujuru’s bid for the party presidency.

Cde Mutasa has been issuing Press statements to the private media denigrating Zanu-PF and its leadership since lost the secretary for Administration’s post after failing to land a Central Committee seat in elections held in Makoni District, Manicaland.

Since then, he has become the virtual spokesperson for malcontents whose covert operation to oust President Mugabe suffered a stillbirth.

Yesterday, acting Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial chairperson Dr Samuel Undenge confirmed the meeting to discuss Cde Mutasa’s fate.

“We will be having our PCC meeting at Marymount Teachers’ College tomorrow (today) at 10am. We want to come out with a position as Manicaland because we cannot allow the name of the province to be dragged into the mud. As people of Manicaland we distance ourselves from such treacherous utterances.

“No Zanu-PF constitution was flouted as what Cde Mutasa wants people to believe. The constitution has provisions for the passing of votes of no confidence to non-performing members,” said Dr Undenge.

He said the attack on President Mugabe and the First Lady, Amai Grace Mugabe were uncalled for because they exposed and clamped on factionalism fanned by Dr Mujuru.

Provinces interviewed yesterday said Cde Mutasa should be expelled without further delay.

Zanu-PF Harare provincial chairperson Cde Goodwills Masimirembwa said Cde Mutasa was now a renegade who must be immediately dismissed from the party.

“Firstly, Cde Mutasa has no authority to speak on behalf of Zanu-PF. In the press statement he is masquerading as the national secretary for administration when clearly he is not. His statement demonstrates that he is a renegade and has no place in Zanu-PF. Obviously, this matter should be handled by the Politburo and the Central Committee,” he said.

“But as the Harare province, we are very clear that Cde Mutasa and those who subscribe to his counter-revolutionary stance as demonstrated in the statement must be expelled from the party.”

Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi said Cde Mutasa should be dismissed from the party for behaviour inconsistent with party principles.

“In our view, we do not have to give him any credibility. He was defeated in his home province and he then talks of one man, one vote. In the first place, he was not elected to be secretary for administration. He was appointed. He is just an old man barking for attention. He should be expelled. The moment you continuously say things against the principles of your own party, you should be expelled. He should have long been dismissed from the party but the President has been a forgiving man since 1980,” said Cde Ziyambi.

“We wanted him fired at congress. The President is one for reconciliation but Cde Mutasa is beyond redemption.”

In Masvingo, acting provincial chairperson Cde Paradzai Chakona said utterances by Cde Mutasa showed that he was no longer a Zanu-PF cadre and must therefore be dismissed without further delay.

“Zanu-PF is a revolutionary party. As a revolutionary party if you are a card carrying Zanu-PF member you follow the leadership that is there. If you follow a leadership that has rebelled, you are also a rebel. Cde Mutasa is now a rebel. Before he was appointed secretary for administration there were cadres that were in that position and were relieved of their duties but still remained loyal to the party. He should be dismissed immediately. This is the position of Masvingo province. We are saying he has gotten out of hand and should be kicked out of the party,” he said.

Mashonaland Central provincial chairperson Cde Dickson Mafios said Cde Mutasa had exposed his true colours and must be dealt with accordingly.

“He has shown his true colours. It is true that ‘they’ are rebels and they have now come out in the open. Zanu-PF has no shortage of leaders. He is an outcast and must be expelled from the party immediately,” said Cde Mafios.

He said it was shocking that Cde Mutasa was feigning ignorance of developments (at congress) that happened during his tenure as secretary for administration before he fell from grace.

Midlands provincial chairperson Cde Kizito Chivamba said Cde Mutasa had unwittingly exposed his counterrevolutionary character and must therefore be expelled from Zanu-PF.

“This man no longer has any business with us as Zanu-PF. The President should declare his constituency vacant on his return so that we have a by-election. He is no longer with us. He is no longer a Zanu-PF cadre according to the statement he released in the private media. His true colours have been exposed. He has failed to destroy Zanu-PF from within and he will end up like Simba Makoni and Dumiso Dabengwa. This is his end. These are now rebels and we in the Midlands will organise against them strongly. We will not support malcontents who disrespect President Mugabe,” he said.

Matabeleland North Zanu-PF provincial chairperson Cde Richard Moyo said they stood by the outcome of the December National People’s Congress.

“Cde Mutasa must be expelled the same way that we dealt with Rugare Gumbo. He has failed. After losing his position he should have accepted his fate and corrected his shortcomings instead of issuing senseless statements to the media,” he said.

Zanu PF deputy chairperson for the Youth League Cde Kudzanai Chipanga said they were calling for the expulsion of Cde Mutasa from the revolutionary party.

“As the youth we are saying what Cde Mutasa said is rubbish, it’s utter hogwash. He has been overtaken by events and is living in 2014 when we are in 2015. We recommend that he be expelled from the party as soon as possible because he is now defying Congress.

“Cde Mutasa is no longer secretary for administration of the party but just a card carrying member. What he is doing purporting to be the secretary for administration is meant to confuse the membership of the party. So, as we say, it is time to separate oil and water by simply dismissing him from the party,” Cde Chipanga said.

At a joint press conference of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, Zimbabwe National Liberation War Collaborators Association and the Zimbabwe ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees Association, ZNLWVA Secretary General Cde Victor Matemadanda echoed similar sentiments.

“We recommend that the party takes decisive action against Cde Mutasa and the cabal of conspirators such as Dzikamai Mavhaire, Ray Kaukonde, Temba Mliswa and Tendai Savanhu including the cabal’s remnants in Government including Jason Machaya, Andrew Langa, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, Lazarus Dokora, Paddington Zhanda, Fred Moyo and Chiratidzo Mabuwa among others.

“This is not the end of the chapter; there are others we are going to expose and recommend to the President and Politburo for their expulsion,” he said.

‘We are also going to call on the President to call for a by-election in Cde Mutasa’s Headlands constituency so that we have a new MP who is Zanu PF-compliant,” said Cde Matemadanda.