President Robert Mugabe apparently read the riot act to the organisers of recent Zanu PF demonstrations at Wednesday’s politburo meeting in Harare, including those who mounted this week’s protest marches against party national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere
Party sources who spoke to the Daily News yesterday also claimed that Mugabe’s outburst had forced the alleged masterminds behind the recent demos to disown the marches.
“The president also took to task both the (Team) Lacoste and G40 (Generation 40) factions saying he was aware that they were conducting mid-night succession meetings, and urged senior party officials to use proper channels to push through their agendas,” one of the sources said.
“Team Lacoste came out of the (politburo) meeting bruised and battered after Kasukuwere produced the names of those who wanted to smuggle his name into what was a women’s league issue (the Sarah Mahoka and Eunice Sandi Moyo saga),” another source linked to the G40 claimed.
“Lacoste suffered a major reversal. All the demonstrations targeting Kasukuwere were rubbished. You see, there is no province without representation in the politburo.
“So, when the politburo members were being asked ‘what is this we hear’, no-one claimed to know anything. Those who planned these demonstrations all went into hiding,” the second source added.
The source also claimed that Mugabe had also been angered by the fact that Masvingo province had defied his recent orders by going ahead with its demo this week against Kasukuwere.
Masvingo resident minister Shuvai Mahofa, who is alleged to have been at the heart of that demo, apparently distanced herself from the march.
“When Mahofa was asked why they had mounted the demonstration, she said contrary to what the media had reported, she was in Harare and nowhere near the said demonstrations.
“It also emerged in the meeting that a number of people involved in the recent demos were supporters of (former vice president Joice) Mujuru, other expelled people and some confused lot who were ferried from Harare,” the source added.
Another source claimed that there was a determined push by the Team Lacoste faction to “seize” Zanu PF’s crucial commissariat department.
“Lacoste want to create a storm for Kasukuwere so that they seize the national commissariat, while also causing leadership change in Mashonaland Central Province.
“The fight for the control of provinces is critical in the event that there is an extraordinary congress where the next leader of the party will be chosen,” the source said.
Under Zanu PF’s constitution, whoever takes over from Mugabe will have to be nominated by two provinces and win a national primary election in which party members will vote by secret ballot — which makes the commissariat department very important.
Meanwhile, it has also emerged that it is not true that Mahoka was under the cosh in the women’s league, before her surprise resignation this week, because she had also attacked Mnangagwa and presidential spokesperson George Charamba.
“State media keep reporting that the women’s league charged Mahoka with insulting Mnangagwa and Charamba. This is not true. This was never on the charge sheet at all. It’s hot air, factional reporting,” the source said