Zanu PF commissar Saviour Kasukuwere’s opponents in the ruling party went to the extent of buying a coffin for the under siege Local Government minister, a report of investigations into allegations that he was plotting against President Robert Mugabe has revealed.
By Xolisani Ncube
Children follow proceedings at Harare’s City Sports Centre during the opening of the 25th Junior Parliament and commemorations for the Day of the African Child yesterday.
Picture: Aaron Ufumeli
Kasukuwere has been a target of demonstrations and petitions by a section of the ruling party that accuses him of a litany of crimes that include treason.
Mugabe in April appointed a team led by Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda to investigate the allegations following nationwide demonstrations and its findings were tabled at Zanu PF’s explosive politburo meeting last Wednesday.
The report, in possession of The Standard gives an insight into the shocking levels of infighting in the ruling party. There are revelations that at one time Kasukuwere feared for his life.
According to minutes of a meeting Mudenda’s committee held in Bindura on April 26, Kasukuwere’s mother almost “died” when she was shown her son’s “coffin”.
“My name has been tarnished and in the process, a coffin was acquired, a sign that I was dead and buried,” the minister told the meeting.
“The sight of that coffin traumatised my mother who nearly died. I am glad she is now recovering.”
Kasukuwere also told the meeting that some senior Zanu PF leaders in Mashonaland Central were promiscuous and were sabotaging development projects.
He took a dig at Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs minister Martin Dinha, who was vocal during the demonstrations against the minister. Dinha was the only minister who publicly called for Kasukuwere’s resignation during the upheavals.
Mashonaland Central provincial chairperson Dickson Mafios also accused Dinha of snatching other people’s wives.
“Yes I am in love and I have paid lobola, Mr Dinha snatched Mr Mutauri’s wife,” he said. “We must be professional.
He is a minister who talks petty issues.”
He also claimed that Dinha was imposed as Mazowe MP.
“We imposed Dinha in Mazowe without consulting the public,” he revealed. “Tribalism and division is famed by the minister of state Advocate Dinha.”
Dinha told the meeting that Kasukuwere and his team were plotting to topple Mugabe and they were fanning factionalism.
“In order for them to justify the dismissal of officials, they are accused of either being Lacoste or a Gamatox,” the minister allged.
“This means that these people who were firing people and labelling them belong to a faction.”
Mudenda’s team concluded that Zanu PF structures in Mashonaland Central were in shambles.
“The probe team recommends that the national secretary for administration takes urgent corrective measures to deal with the shambolic state of the province’s administrative and financial records,” reads the report.
“The committee noted that while the allegations emanating from the petition (against Kasukuwere and his brother Dickson Mafios) and the subsequent responses of the provincial co-ordinating committee during the probe and the information submitted through the dossier, acknowledged amongst other things, the existence of two contending groups which by their conduct signify the existence of parallel structures.”
However, the report recommended that State security institutions should be roped in to investigate claims that Kasukuwere plotted to topple Mugabe.
Mudenda’s team comprised of Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo, Tsitsi Muzenda and Xavier Kazizi.
Zanu PF politburo would meet again this week to discuss Kasukuwere’s issue but there are indications that he would survive the turbulence.
Some ruling party sources said the only finding that could sink him was that he was a signatory to a Zanu PF provincial bank account.
Mudenda’s committee recommended that Zanu PF treasurer Obert Mpofu should investigate the matter.
“It is recommended that through the national secretary for finance, an audit be carried out to investigate uncounted funds that should have been banked in the party’s national account in order to ensure financial prudence in the handling of the party funds in the province,” the committee added.
Besides the financial and administrative challenges noted by the committee, party members who spoke and were recorded by the probe team stated that they participated in the anti-Kasukuwere demonstration on a mistaken belief that it was a solidarity march in support of Mugabe.
Former Zanu PF politburo member and Shamva North MP, Nicholas Goche said he participated in the demonstration because he was told it was a solidarity march.
“Mr Mafios phoned telling me that the demonstration was going to be done and it was in solidarity with the president,” he said.
“He also informed me that about 900 people had already gathered for the demonstration.
“If ever there was another cause for the demonstration, I do not know,” Goche told the probe team.
“All I know is that it was a show of solidarity with the president and I was glad to participate.”
Shamva South MP, Joseph Mapiki said he also believed the demonstration was organised to show support for Mugabe.
“If the call for demonstration was diverted, that is another matter, but the main reason for the match was in solidarity with the president,” he said.
Kasukuwere claims the demonstrations were organised by people whose ultimate target was Mugabe.-Standard
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