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Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter—
VICE President Joice Mujuru and one of her sidekicks Cde Nicholas Goche who were both implicated in the plot to assassinate President Mugabe yesterday missed the final Politburo meeting ahead of Congress on account of illness. Cde Goche was said to be seriously ill as he was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of a Harare private hospital, with sources saying he was suffering from hypertension in the wake of the exposure of his scandalous utterances and subsequent decision to opt out of the Central Committee elections.

Minister of State in the Vice President’s Office Cde Flora Buka, who is also linked to the Mujuru cabal, is reported to have collapsed after losing in the Central Committee elections held at Mutora Growth Point in Nembudziya on Tuesday.

VP Mujuru who is now the outgoing Zanu-PF Second Secretary after she failed to secure a Central Committee position, missed yesterday’s Politburo meeting on health grounds.

It is understood that the VP gave an apology that she was ill and as such she could not attend the crucial meeting.

“She excused herself and gave any apology that she wasn’t feeling well,” said a Zanu-PF official who refused to be named.

Cde Goche was admitted at a private hospital in Borrowdale on Tuesday.

Although the doctors at the up-market medical facility refused to disclose his sickness, they confirmed that Cde Goche was critically ill and in the Intensive Care Unit.

The doctors said his condition had seriously deteriorated, but they were closely monitoring him.

“Yes, I can confirm that he was admitted at our hospital on Tuesday,” said one of the doctors at the hospital. “He’s quite serious, but due to our medical ethics I can’t disclose the nature of his ailment to you save to say that he’s in the Intensive Care Unit.

“We’re guided by doctor-patient confidentiality and as such we aren’t allowed to disclose such private information unless if he (Cde Goche) authorised us to do so.”

Another doctor at the same hospital said people were being restricted to visit Cde Goche because of his serious condition.

Our sources in Midlands confirmed that Cde Buka collapsed in Nembudziya soon after the announcement of Central Committee election results.

“I think she was shocked, especially considering that it was her second successive defeat after she was booted out of the Women’s League in August.”

Cde Buka lost her Central Committee bid to Cde Leonard Chikomba after garnering 74 votes against 169.

In August, she again failed to get a position in the Women’s League after losing to Cde Estina Nhari.

VP Mujuru and several members of her faction were reportedly working on a plot to unseat President Mugabe illegally.

Cde Goche opened up recently on the sidelines of meetings he held with officials from the Zimbabwe Sugar Cane Milling Union in Chiredzi that war was imminent in Zanu-PF as some people would be “flushed away” at the 6th National People’s Congress which begins in Harare next week.

Efforts to get comment from Cde Buka were fruitless last night.

Meanwhile, the Politburo yesterday endorsed the ouster of VP Mujuru from the Central Committee and agreed on proposed amendments to the party’s constitution that will pave way for President Mugabe to appoint all Politburo members.

This means the two Vice-Presidents and Second Secretaries and the party’s national chairman who were voted for before would now be appointed by President Mugabe.

Sources who attended yesterday’s Politburo meeting said members had accepted names of party cadres who had been elected into the Central Committee, minus that of VP Mujuru.

VP Mujuru, who has been implicated in a plot to oust President Mugabe lost her bid to secure a Central Committee post after her district of origin, Mt Darwin, rejected her application.

She had submitted her CV to the provincial elections directorate last Sunday, but the province said it did not want to be associated with anyone plotting to kill the party’s First Secretary.

Instead of VP Mujuru, Mount Darwin District seconded Politburo member Cde George Rutanhire.

VP Mujuru’s key allies in various provinces have also fallen by the wayside for allegedly plotting to topple President Mugabe using unconstitutional means.

“All the names have been presented and accepted and the VP isn’t in the picture,” said the Politburo member who attended the meeting.

“The names, including those from Mashonaland Central province will be presented to the Central Committee for adoption.

“The amendments that have been agreed on mean that President Mugabe will have the power to appoint VPs and the national chair to avoid the creation of multiple centres of power.”

At present, the two VPs, National Chair, top six Women’s League officials and Youth League deputy secretary are elected into the Politburo directly; a situation critics have said had created many centres of power.

The source said some of the amendments included the establishment of a permanent Election Commission to run the elections of the party.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Zanu-PF national chairman and acting spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo confirmed that the Politburo had agreed on the proposed amendments.

He refused to disclose the amendments and also refused to take questions.

“The Politburo met today (yesterday) and deliberated on the proposed amendments to the Zanu-PF constitution,” he said. “After extensive discussions on the same, the Politburo agreed on the amendments.

“These amendments will be presented to the Central Committee next week for deliberation and adoption. I will give you the details of these amendments after the Central Committee meeting.”

Cde Khaya Moyo said national political commissar Cde Webster Shamu presented the Central Committee election results recently held in all the 10 provinces.

Cde Shamu’s name was, however, reportedly not on the list after it was removed together with that of Cde Sylvester Nguni following a massive demonstration against them in Chinhoyi yesterday.

Cde Shamu remains the party’s political commissar at least until congress next week.

Cde Khaya Moyo said the full list of the Central Committee members would be availed next week.

He said it was all systems go for next week’s 6th National People’s Congress to be held in Harare.

“Preparations are going on very well in all provinces as reported by the chairpersons of provincial congress coordinating committees,” Cde Khaya Moyo said.

Delegates now arrive for the Congress on Wednesday, December 3 instead of Thursday December 4.

Cde Khaya Moyo said the congress would start on Thursday December 4 at 1PM until Saturday, while delegates are scheduled to depart on Sunday.

He said the congress venue was ready for inspection and officials would tomorrow tour the facilities.