Live Zanu PF congress updates
HARARE – Amidst vicious infighting that has seen the expulsion or suspension of senior Zanu PF figures, President Mugabe’s heavily divided party is holding its congress in the capital Harare.
Below is a collection of some of the highlights as posted by various accredited journalists on twitter, including Clarkson Mambo and Chronicle editor Mduduzi Mathuthu.
*President Robert Mugabe has arrived at Zanu-PF HQ for a meeting of the party’s central committee
*Zanu PF Central Committee in session. Mujuru, Mutasa and Goche absent, the latter 2 through poor health
*Mugabe accuses Mujuru of turning to witchcraft in her fight to oust him from power
*Mujuru went to inyanga, 2 tadpoles put in a bowl to fight. Mujuru’s had to kill Mugabe’s if she was to get power. ‘I think mine won,’ Mugabe
*Mutasa said I want to be chairman. I said but we’ve a chairman, who told you that he’s being removed?
*It is such ambitions that led to some planning “to get the President out of the way. Handizvo.” – Mugabe
*Mugabe says only God can remove him from power
*Some people were trying to gain popularity & prop themsleves into power by ‘hook or crook’ – Mugabe
*Election promises have to be fulfilled by creating jobs & improving the livehood of the people – Mugabe
*Sanctions have had their toll but Zimbabwe is resilient and has not succumbed – Mugabe
*We cannot afford to sing and dance with the enemy who is not using covert means (money) to control Africans – Mugabe
“We all thot we are united from the top to bottom & that there are no machinations amongst us but we were deceived,”- Mugabe
*Some had risen from being nobodies to the Politburo & now wanted the highest seat even though they do not qualify – Mugabe
“We all thought we are united from the top to bottom & that there are no machinations amongst us but we were deceived,”- Mugabe
*Some were hoping after 2013 elections, I would give way to my deputy. “That was their expectation, foolish & idiotic” – Mugabe
*Missing presidium members (Mujuru and Mutasa) have not died but have faded away – Mugabe
*One year after elections we look at ourselves and ask why are there only 2 faces at the high table – Mugabe (in ref to Mujuru, Mutasa absence)
*Some thought I was going to die in September “but the man refused to die & is still refusing to die. Ah zvakutoda n’anga izvi”-Mugabe
*Some of us were thinking about implementing ZimAsset while some were dreaming about power -Mugabe
*After looking at us, Chinoz asked, ‘Ko ava ndevei ava” & he was told its the press, then he responds with a question “Mukuda kupressa chii?” (Clarkson Mambo on twitter)
*Jonathan Moyo – “I have never seen so many media people, its like half of the Central Committee.”
*So much interest in the goings on in the ruling party. I counted at least 40 local and international journos at the #ZanuPFCC (Clarkson Mambo)
Breaking News…………………
The Zanu PF congress taking place in the capital Harare has officially expelled former spokesman Rugare Gumbo from the party. Gumbo was suspended for a period of five years but it would appear a string of interviews with the independent media in which he savaged President Robert Mugabe did not go down well with loyalists. Full Story here
