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Harare Bureau
Zanu-PF Politburo member Cde Nicholas Goche had to run for dear life yesterday fleeing Zanu-PF youths in Bindura who were baying for his blood after he was implicated in the plot to assassinate President Mugabe.Cde Goche sneaked out of the meeting at Mayfair Lodge where he intended to submit his application for  a Central Committee position.

The youths led by Mashonaland Central youth league chairman Godfrey Tsenangamu said Cde Goche displayed disrespect of the highest order by plotting to kill the President and as such was unfit to occupy such a senior post in the party.

Cde Goche was rescued after Politburo member Cde Saviour Kasukuwere calmed the youths who had blocked the main gate and he had to be whisked away in his black Toyota Landcruiser, an hour later after arriving for the meeting.

He is reported to have told officials during the meeting that he wanted to withdraw his CV and leave the venue.

At first he attempted to use another gate but the youths went and blocked it. This occurred after the youths had been addressed by the provincial acting chairperson Cde Wonder Mashange, Politburo member Cde George Rutanhire and Cde Tongai Kasukuwere at the main gate.

Cde Kasukuwere later intervened and asked the youths to let Cde Goche leave the venue using the main gate around 12noon.

The youths gave them a petition in which they said all those who had been implicated in plotting to assassinate President Mugabe should not submit their CVs.

The petition had a list of 10 senior officials barred from submitting their CVs who are Cdes Goche, David Butau, Criswell Mutematsaka, Kenneth Shupikai Musanhi, Sydney Chidamba, Joseph Mapiki, Elphas Kanhanga, Christopher Chitindi, Obert Mutasa and Dugmore Chimukoko.

Cdes Mutematsaka, Kanhanga, Ratidzai Marumahoko and Edgar Chidavaenzi attended the meeting briefly but were chased away by the youths.

“On this 23rd day of November 2014, we the undersigned being bona fide members of the revolutionary party Zanu-PF, do hereby re-affirm our 100 percent support for President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe and the first family. We are grateful to President Mugabe for his support to us in agriculture, mining and our small to medium enterprise ventures among other sectors,” reads part of the petition.

“We are however disturbed to note that there are some senior members in the party who are deciding to rise against our President, whom we elected overwhelmingly on July 31, 2013. Such individuals have taken it upon themselves to join hands with western countries and opposition parties in Zimbabwe to effect illegal regime change. We are shocked that these same people who have benefited immensely from President Mugabe’s goodwill are even plotting to kill him.”

The youths said such high ranking people had no place in the leadership structures of the party as some of them were exchanging valuable party information for dirty money through the American Embassy and Eric Little.

“Our immediate demand therefore is that the Provincial Elections Directorate (PED) must not accept their curriculum vitaes (CVs) as they have no place in our central committee. Having stated this we the undersigned, want to inform you that the following are some of the people involved (the 10 officials).”

The petition was handed over to Cde Mashange who later gave it to Cde Kasukuwere who promised to hand it over to senior party officials at the Zanu-PF headquarters.

Cde Tsenangamu said they were demanding action to be taken against the senior party officials who were plotting against President Mugabe.

Addressing the youths, Cde Mashange said the youths as the vanguard of the party, had shown that they were there to defend the party and President Mugabe.

Cde Rutanhire said he had heard their grievances and urged them to remain vigilant.

Earlier on, some party officials and war veterans had also said some of the officials who were implicated in plotting to assassinate President Mugabe should not submit their CVs.

But Cde Goche had said party members should not make decisions. “We shouldn’t take decisions here. My own advice is that take the CVs and make some remarks and state reasons why you don’t want these people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cde Mashange said the meeting went on well and that they conducted a vetting process while they were receiving the CVs. “In the process there was a demonstration by the youths against some of the leadership especially Cde Goche whose CV they said shouldn’t be accepted together with the rest of the people accused of plotting to kill President Mugabe.

“Cde Goche later decided to withdraw his CV. I think he did the honourable thing by withdrawing,” he said.

Cde Mashange said there was also an issue about Politburo member Cde Lazarus Dokora who is being accused of ferrying councillors and chairpersons to Mozambique where they held meetings to discuss how they could back Vice President Joice Mujuru for the presidency.

Cde Mashange said people in the province had shown that they were 100 percent behind President Mugabe.

On Saturday, President Mugabe questioned Cde Goche over reports that he approached hit men to assassinate him.