Mugabe dissolves cabinet as rivals meet

Mugabe dissolves cabinet as rivals meet

RACE TO THE FINISH: Opposition claims plot to rig poll by President Robert Mugabe

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PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe dissolved the cabinet on Thursday ahead of a key weekend election as his rivals met to discuss a post-election strategy.

Mugabe -- embarrassed last year when his entire cabinet was duped by a mystic who claimed that she could extract diesel from hills in the Chinhoyi area – told his ministers that only the “good performers” would be retained if he wins Saturday’s presidential race.

The dissolution of the cabinet is a procedural move before an election.
Mugabe, speaking at a campaign rally in Bindura, said: “I told them (ministers) that some would return to government, others will be left behind.
"The good performers will continue."

Mugabe spoke as his main election rivals, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, independent Simba Makoni and Arthur Mutambara – who withdrew to back Makoni’s bid – met in Harare to plot his downfall.

Tsvangirai, leader of a faction of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said his party has more evidence of planned ballot rigging and believes Mugabe is planning to declare victory with almost 60 per cent of the vote.

Makoni, emerging from the meeting with Tsvangirai and Mutambara, leader of a rival MDC faction, said: “We believe there is a very well thought out, sophisticated and premeditated plan to steal this election from us.”

Makoni has indicated he would join hands with Tsvangirai in the event that none of the candidates fails to get a majority 51 percent required to win the presidential race.

Mugabe, facing the toughest election battle of his 28 years in power, handed out hundreds of cars to doctors in what opponents said was a vote-buying campaign.

Both Makoni and Tsvangirai accuse Mugabe, 84, of wrecking what was once one Africa's strongest economy and pauperising its people.

Mugabe blamed Zimbabwe's troubles on Western sanctions imposed on him and allies to try to force reform.

Mugabe says the measures had harmed health care in Zimbabwe, one of the countries worst affected by HIV and AIDS.

"Our health sector (once) operated in a regional and international context that was free of the illegal sanctions which weigh us down today," he said later Thursday during the ceremony to give 450 cars to senior and middle-level doctors at government hospitals.

Mugabe also promised to give doctors houses within two years, and he handed out farm equipment and public buses in what critics say is an attempt to win political favour ahead of the vote in a country where many can no longer afford even basic needs and food and fuel are in short supply. - Staff Reporter/Reuters
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