Zanu PF politburo meets over looming split

Zanu PF politburo meets over looming split

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By Fikile Mapala

ZANU PF’S centre of power – the politburo – was meeting in Harare on Wednesday to deal with a series of urgent issues affecting the ruling party amid reports of a looming split ahead of crucial presidential and parliamentary elections in March.

Prominent academic Ibbo Mandaza has been named as the coordinator of a movement within the ruling party determined to wrest power from President Robert Mugabe in order to replace him with long-serving Zanu PF politburo member, Dr Simba Makoni.

Fugitive Zanu PF MP David Butau and independent MP for Tsholotsho Professor Jonathan Moyo have also been linked with the new movement.

Zanu PF sources say the politburo was initially expected to meet on January 30 to discuss primary elections to select candidates for the general election, but the meeting was brought forward because of rising turbulence in the party.

Media reports say Zanu PF is caught in a political storm accompanied by threats by some of its senior members to break away and form a splinter party to challenge President Robert Mugabe.

It is said that Makoni, a former finance minister, is being supported by the Zanu PF faction led by retired army commander General Solomon Mujuru.

Former Zapu members led by former intelligence supremo Dumiso Dabengwa are also said to have soft spot for Makoni, seen by many as level headed with appeal across Zimbabweans from different walks of life.

Makoni has neither confirmed nor denied media reports linking him to the splinter faction of the ruling party, reinforcing speculation that he may be working towards wresting power from Mugabe.

When contacted for by New Zimbabwe.com, Makoni refused to comment saying he had nothing to say.

He said: “I am sorry I cannot talk about that at the moment. I will comment at the appropriate time. At the moment I have no comment.”

The politburo is expected to discuss the party’s primary elections, SADC initiated talks between Zanu PF and the MDC, the March election date and the widely speculated split.

Sources say the splinter party, set to be launched soon, has been given the thumbs up by Zanu PF’s disgruntled leadership in Mashonaland East Province who felt cheated by Mugabe’s controversial endorsement by a Zanu PF extraordinary congress last December.

The party, which sources say is set to use the name Patriotic Front, is an alliance of disgruntled Zanu PF members across the country’s provinces.
Sources say Mashonaland East Governor Ray Kaukonde, an ally of Mujuru, has been one of the leaders within the party at the forefront of calling for a new leader to take over from Mugabe.

A leading opinion writer in the state-run Herald newspaper, Nathaniel Manheru -- thought to be presidential spokesman George Charamba -- recently confirmed the political manoeuvres by Makoni and his cabal in his weekly column, dismissing them as a British-sponsored “coalition of the bitter”.
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