Presidium to decide on Kasukuwere
THE ZANU-PF Presidium will make a determination on the fate of national political commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere following yesterday’s Politburo meeting which discussed a report submitted by the ad-hoc probe committee.
Speaking after the extraordinary meeting in Harare, ZANU-PF spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, said Cde Kasukuwere’s matter was now in the hands of the party’s Presidium, which comprises President Mugabe and his two deputies — Cdes Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko.
Cde Kasukuwere is accused of setting parallel structures in a bid to topple President Mugabe, fanning factionalism, corruption and abuse of office.
Said Cde Khaya Moyo: “The report by the ad-hoc probe committee chaired by Cde Jacob Mudenda on the Mashonaland Central Province petition was fully read to members of the Politburo page-by-page. There was extensive discussion of the report by members of the Politburo. The Presidium will digest the discussions and make the necessary pronouncement on the matter later.”
Cde Mudenda led a probe team which comprised of Cdes Khaya Moyo, Tsitsi Muzenda and Xavier Kazizi.
President Mugabe deployed the team to Mashonaland Central Province after party structures submitted a petition to the party leadership seeking the ouster of Cde Kasukuwere.
All other provinces, save for Bulawayo, have passed votes of no confidence on the embattled national commissar.
The probe team found Cde Kasukuwere guilty of the many charges raised in a petition submitted by party cadres from his home province, Mashonaland Central.
The report noted that on factionalism Cde
◆ Kasukuwere was creating shadow Members of Parliament in some constituencies with sitting legislators. The move is widely believed to be part of Cde Kasukuwere’s larger plot to topple President Mugabe by planting people loyal to him in key positions.
Further, the team also concluded that the province had lost confidence in the leadership of Cdes Kasukuwere, Dickson Mafios (acting provincial chairman) and Wonder Mashange (provincial secretary for administration). It also emerged that Cde Kasukuwere was excessively interfering with operations of the province as he was a signatory to the party’s provincial account. This is despite the fact that he is not provincial member. “It is the finding of the committee that there are two contending groups as bolstered by the creation of shadow members of Parliament against some sitting MPs and a sitting Senator may of necessity create divisions and factions in the province,” reads the report.
“It is the finding of the committee that the petition expressed loss of confidence in the leadership of the three accused persons by bringing the name of the party into disrepute, but more importantly, that the underlying reference to the parallel structures and fanning of factionalism were intended to topple the elected President and the First Secretary of Zanu-PF Cde R.G Mugabe.”
On corruption, the report said: “The committee noted that the national political commissar Cde S. Kasukuwere, was ostensibly the principal signatory to the provincial party account at the exclusion of the provincial secretary for finance, which is a gross abuse of authority by a national political leader.
“It is the finding of the committee that there are serious competing mining interests as exemplified in Mukaradzi and Kitsiyatota mining claims, which led to the victimisation of the Women’s League members and more pronounced against Cde (Remegio) Matangira, whose case was referred to His Excellency, the President for intervention. The competing mining interests have spilled into the courts whereby the Women’s League formed a Women’s Mining Trust, which has approached the High Court under case number HC/1673/17 reference 12100/2016.”
Cde Matangira, whose mining property has been destroyed to the tune of $600 000, has approached the Constitutional Court to claim his mining rights under case number CCZ36/16.
The committee noted the corrupt leadership of Cdes Mafios and Mashange at provincial level.
“The committee noted that the leadership of acting chairman D.I Mafios and the provincial secretary for administration Cde W. Mashange leaves a lot to be desired in the terms of the shambolic state of administrative and financial records as well as party assets,” reads the report.
“This is revealed by the unauthorised sale of a party vehicle, unaccounted funds from the sale of party cards and data forms as well as the abuse of donated funds and building materials. Arising from the lack of prudential upkeep of provincial bank account as demonstrated in the role of the national commissar Cde S. Kasukuwere and the abuse of office by the acting provincial chairman Cde D.I Mafios and provincial secretary for administration Cde W. Mashange as stated above, is indicative of dictatorial leadership by the accused.”
The committee affirmed that 11 allegations against Cde Kasukuwere and his two accomplices were elaborated in the verbatim report as submissions by members of the Provincial Coordinating Committee during the probe in compliance with the first term of reference which states that the committee had to ensure members in attendance are legitimate members of the Mashonaland Central Provincial Coordinating Committee.