ZANU PF politburo member and outgoing Women’s League administration secretary Flora Buka’s political career is hanging by the thread as she is facing an investigation over charges of being involved in the plot to topple President Robert Mugabe.
STAFF REPORTER
Yesterday, Buka’s election bid into the powerful Zanu PF Central Committee was “freezed” to allow time for investigations into her conduct and involvement with under-fire Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
Buka, who is also Minister of State in the President’s Office and Senator (Midlands’ Proportional Representation), was among party stalwarts jostling for three central committee slots in Gokwe North district before the internal elections were called off yesterday pending investigations into her alleged shenanigans.
Zanu PF Midlands provincial spokesperson Cornelius Mupereri told NewsDay yesterday that the Gokwe North polls were postponed to a later date to deal with disciplinary issues involving Buka and other Mujuru loyalists.
Mupereri said district elections in Shurugwi had also been postponed.
Buka, believed to be one of Mujuru’s ardent loyalists, was accused of sabotaging government programmes in the Midlands province, convening unsanctioned meetings and urging
her supporters to chant divisive slogans.
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She also faces charges of abducting Women’s League members and forcing them to elect her in the run-up to the league’s national conference in September this year.
Mupereri said: “(District) elections are taking place as we speak in all areas. We have a problem in Gokwe North where there are people facing disciplinary hearings. Some of the allegations raised against them are bad. I will take you back to issues of abductions during the Women’s League congress in the area. “We are dealing with the issue and it’s still under investigation. Some held meetings which were outside the structures where divisive slogans were said to have been chanted.”
Buka was not immediately available for comment.
She was due to fight it out with Gokwe-Kabuyuni MP Leonard Chikomba, ex-Gokwe-Chireya MP Cephas Sindi, outgoing youth secretary Edson Chakanyuka, Jephias Maokorasha, Tariro Mutingwende and William Katopa for the three central committee positions.
The former Gokwe-Nembudziya MP has been lumped together with several top party officials plotting to oust Mugabe and replace him with Mujuru.
Some of Mujuru’s alleged loyalists who include party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, war veterans’ leader Jabulani Sibanda and several provincial chairpersons Amos Midzi (Harare), Andrew Langa (Matabeleland South), Jason Machaya (Midlands), Temba Mliswa (Mashonaland West), John Mvundura (Manicaland) and Callisto Gwanetsa (Masvingo) have already been purged with more heads set to roll ahead of the Zanu PF congress next month.
In a related development, the Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial executive yesterday passed a vote of no confidence in chairman Callistus Ndlovu, his deputy Christopher Dube and four other members of the executive on allegations of fanning factionalism and abuse of party resources.
Deputy secretary for business development and liaison and war veterans elder George Mlala is now acting Bulawayo provincial chairman.
The executive accused Ndlovu of declining to announce the endorsement of the candidature of Mugabe and First Lady Grace Mugabe as the incoming Women’s League secretary.
Ndlovu is also alleged to have connived with three other provincial officials to swindle the party of more than $15 000 raised from the sale of party cards.
Ndlovu becomes the 7th Zanu PF chairperson to be booted out.
Meanwhile, the Zanu PF Harare provincial executive also passed a vote of no confidence on administration secretary Torongo Torongo and secretary for security Tongai Nheta following an extra-ordinary meeting at the provincial office yesterday.
