TEKERE BACKS MANICALAND FELLOW ON PRESIDENCY (20-07-07)

country.

A group of senior ZANU PF members is planning the removal of Makoni, a former finance minister after he addressed an international economic forum in Cape Town where he predicted President Robert Mugabe’s downfall.

Makoni is also seen as a potential presidential hopeful and if he is ousted from the party, he would not be eligible to present himself as a presidential candidate at the crucial ZANU PF congress in December.

“I applaud the stance that has been taken by Makoni. He should not let the poor suffer just to please Mugabe and his cronies. People are suffering because of ZANU PF’s economic policies.

“The country is own its knees and you get some silly politicians threatening to suspend Makoni for calling for economic reforms in Zimbabwe ,” said Tekere.

Tekere, a former secretary-general of ZANU PF was fired from ZANU PF this year after he wrote a book that was critical of Mugabe and also queried his liberation war credentials.

Politicians closely aligned to Mugabe such as State Security Minister and the party’s secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa; Labour Minister, Nicholas Goche and the Minister of Gender and Employment Creation, Oppah Muchinguri are said to be behind the scheme of removing Makoni from the party.

Other politicians involved in the plot are Elliot Manyika, a minister without portfolio and Saviour Kasukuwere, a deputy youth minister.

Mugabe was also said to be very upset by Makoni’s statements in Cape Town and is determined to see that he is punished severely.

Tekere, who is an outspoken politician, said it was encouraging that there were still some senior politicians like Makoni within ZANU PF who were able to stand-up and fight the leadership in order to save the country from its present crisis.

Repeated efforts to get comments from Manyika, Mutasa or Goche were unsuccessful.

Makoni told delegates attending the World Economic Forum on Africa in June that change was imminent within ZANU PF and the country as they was now a consensus within the ruling party that a rebuilding process had to take place in Zimbabwe.

This process would culminate in Mugabe (83) who has been in power for over 27 years stepping down.

Makoni is seen as one of the best candidates to take over from the aging but defiant Mugabe.