Mutasa resurfaces

Herald Reporters
Headlands National Assembly representative and deposed Zanu-PF secretary for Administration Cde Didymus Mutasa attended a parliamentary sitting yesterday for the first time this year.Cde Mutasa had not attended Parliament this year since his failure to land a seat in the Zanu-PF Central Committee and his subsequent failure to secure reappointment into the Politburo at the Zanu-PF 6th National People’s Congress last December.

In yesterday’s proceedings, Cde Mutasa was one of the legislators who walked into the Chamber early and took his seat just behind the row reserved for ministers.

He was also among MPs who waited for the arrival of the Speaker of the National Assembly Cde Jacob Mudenda and his procession.

Cde Mutasa sat between Chegutu East MP Cde Webster Shamu and Zanu-PF’s former national political commissar before he also lost his Central Committee seat and Shurugwi South representative Cde Tapuwa Matangaidze.

He sat through the debate on the RBZ Debt Assumption Bill for about 30 minutes before he eventually walked out.

Former Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development and Chimanimani West MP Cde Munacho Mutezo who lost his Central Committee and Politburo seats also attended. Cde Mutasa is one of several former ministers who are now attending Parliament as backbenchers after losing his ministerial post for allegedly plotting to oust President Mugabe.

Fifteen ministers and deputy ministers were fired from their positions after they were accused of working with former Vice President Joice Mujuru to topple President Mugabe and/or assassinate him.

Cde Mutasa is scheduled to appear before the ruling party’s disciplinary committee chaired by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko to answer to charges of denigrating the name of the party and its leadership in several interviews he has granted to the private and regional media and in letters he wrote to Sadc and the African Union.