Ex-DCC members to be reassigned

and incorporated into other party structures, the Politburo resolved at its meeting in Harare yesterday.
This comes as the party’s supreme decision-making body outside congress was locked in discussions to come up with a position on the draft Constitution.
The meeting went into the early hours of today.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Cde Rugare Gumbo said the dissolution of DCCs did not mean the members had been expelled.
“The national political commissar (Cde Webster Shamu) presented a report on Cde (Didymus) Mutasa’s visit to all the provinces to advise them that the DCCs have been disbanded.
“The Politburo felt that the disbandment of the DCCs was not a punitive action.”
Cde Gumbo said the Politburo noted that some DCC members had been misled and acted against party principles.
He said the party would find ways to rehabilitate them.
Cde Gumbo said Zanu-PF had tasked Cde Shamu to look into how the members could be absorbed into other party structures.
“Politburo advised the political commissar to produce a circular informing the DCC members that they have not been expelled from the party and that the party is looking into how they can be incorporated in its structures,” Cde Gumbo said.
Announcing the dissolution of the DCCs in June, President Mugabe said they were created to co-ordinate the management of party structures, yet they made things more difficult.
“We have experienced quite a lot of commotion, fighting for places in regard to positions in the DCCs and therefore we have been looking at what is happening and we discussed that in the Politburo.
“We are worried the DCC has become a weapon used to divide the party,” he said.
The dissolution also followed reports of imposition of candidates during elections, especially in Masvingo and Manicaland.
Provincial structures now play a pivotal role in the co-ordination of party activities.
Yesterday’s Politburo meeting was expected to come up with a final position on the party’s proposed amendments.
The Politburo last week tasked its representatives in the Copac management committee to collate the proposed amendments into a comprehensive document.
Zanu-PF deputy secretary for Legal Affairs Cde Patrick Chinamasa last week said the contested areas included national objectives and foundations, the significance of the liberation struggle, the appointment of provincial governors and the establishment of the constitutional court.
He was speaking on Friday after a 14-hour Politburo meeting that ended early Saturday morning.
Other areas of dispute include the deployment of defence forces outside the country and the proposed restructuring of the Attorney-General’s Office.
Debate on the section dealing with the nomination of presidential candidates and their running mates was expected to be concluded last night.
The Politburo endorsed a huge portion of the draft Constitution last Friday, but proposed amendments to several contentious clauses.
The two MDC formations have endorsed the draft Constitution, saying it contains the views of the people.
Lawyers and political analysts said the draft Constitution did not capture the views of the people during the outreach programme.
Copac produced the draft Constitution two weeks ago after missing the deadline by more than two years.