Zanu PF formally expel Makoni

By Lance Guma
12 February 2008

The ruling Zanu PF party has formally expelled former finance minister Simba Makoni, over his decision to stand as a presidential candidate in the March 29th election. Party spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira told a press conference that Makoni would remain banished from the party even if he made a u-turn and did not file his nomination papers this week; ‘It's about his attitude to the party and to the president, which he has shown and he is being expelled for that.’ Last week Makoni urged his followers not to be intimidated by threats coming from fellow party members and war veterans. He went further to challenge the so called ‘self expulsion clause’ in the Zanu PF constitution, saying no such provision existed.

Although Makoni has already said he awaits proper procedures to be followed in deciding his fate, Shamuyarira moved quickly to pour cold water on that expectation by saying expulsion would be, ‘without recourse to any procedure.’ He added; ‘We want to make that expulsion very clear because it's either you support the party or you don't. If you don't support the party then you are excluded.’ Shamuyarira also took the opportunity to warn other Zanu PF candidates, harbouring intentions of standing as independents, that the same fate awaited them. Meanwhile academic Ibbo Mandaza, one of Makoni’s advisers, has already confirmed they will field candidates to contest the parliamentary elections.

Despite Makoni claiming he has the support of several key Zanu PF officials, none of them have come out in the open. Several bigwigs such as party chairman John Nkomo, politburo member Dumiso Dabengwa, women’s league boss Oppah Muchinguri and retired army generals Vitalis Zvinavashe and Solomon Mujuru have been linked to the breakaway party. Reports that the Makoni camp is trying to lure candidates who lost primary elections in both Zanu PF and the MDC suggests they might be struggling for candidates. The country’s spy agency, the CIO, is said to have already assured Mugabe there will be no mass defections from Zanu PF.
Curiously other reports suggest CIO Chief Happyton Bonyongwe is a Makoni sympathiser.