At least four Zanu-PF ministers will lose their parliamentary seats after failing to secure nomination in party primaries held in Zimbabwe at the weekend.
Minister of Trade and Industry Samuel Mumbengegwi; his deputy, Kenneth Manyonda; Minister of Labour Paul Mangwana; and Minister of Parastatals Rugare Gumbo all fell to more popular candidates for parliamentary polls set for some time in March.
This comes after President Robert Mugabe vowed not to appoint anyone to his Cabinet who had not been elected by the people.
The party has also suspended more of its officials for indiscipline, including two sitting MPs.
Deputy Minister of Transport Andrew Langa and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Adednico Ncube have been accused of taking part in the ”Tsholotsho declaration” of last December.
This unsanctioned meeting — allegedly called to lend support to parliamentary Speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid for vice-presidency — angered Mugabe.
”We have decided that, like the other six provincial chairmen who were suspended for taking part in the Tsholotsho declaration, Langa and Ncube should also be suspended and barred from taking part in the primaries,” said a senior party official from the western province of Matabeleland on Tuesday.
Some primary elections in the troubled province have been postponed until the party has completed its investigation into the meeting.
In an unprecedented move, Zanu-PF suspended six of its 10 party chairpersons for five years, accusing them of breaking party procedures.
The move came ahead of parliamentary polls set for some time in March.
Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change has not yet announced whether it will take part in the polls, saying conditions for free and fair elections do not exist in the country.
Mugabe hails Tehran as key partner
Meanwhile, Mugabe hailed Iran as a ”critical partner” and vowed to take cooperation to ”new heights” as he welcomed President Mohammad Khatami to Zimbabwe, a state-run newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Khatami, who arrived in Harare late on Monday on the penultimate leg of a seven-nation African tour, was due on Tuesday to visit the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare where those who fought in Zimbabwe’s liberation war against British colonial rule are buried.
He will then hold talks with Mugabe before leaving for the Victoria Falls, the country’s top tourist destination.
Speaking at a banquet in Khatami’s honour late on Monday, Mugabe hailed oil-rich Iran as a key partner in Zimbabwe’s drive to shun the West.
”We attach great importance to this visit as it will enable us to work towards strengthening and diversifying our relations,” Mugabe was quoted as saying in the state-run Herald newspaper.
”Your visit affords an opportunity to raise our bilateral cooperation to new heights, as my government has embarked on a deliberate ‘look East’ policy in which your country is a critical partner.”
Iran is one of the countries Mugabe has been warming up to following his new policy, partly forced by Zimbabwe’s isolation from the West over controversial land reforms and allegedly fraud-marred elections in 2000 and 2002.
Mugabe also slammed Western powers opposed to his land reforms, saying they are the same ones who branded Iran part of an ”axis of evil”, a reference to the policy outlined by United States President George Bush in 2002 that put Iran, Iraq and North Korea on the top of the US list of outlaw states.
”They have demonised my leadership and government while feverishly working to effect a regime change,” Mugabe said.
”We cherish your unwavering support during the land-reform process and look forward to its continuation as we empower our people,” he added.
Iran — which has provided a â,¬15-million (R118-million) credit line to Zimbabwe to purchase tractors, combine harvesters and medical equipment — will extend a further â,¬20-million credit line for agriculture and communications, the newspaper reported. — Sapa-AFP, Sapa
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