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Mutasa refutes Dabengwa's claims

                                            By Blesssing Chapwati 07-08-08

ZANU PF secretary for administration has dismissed claims by former Minister of Home Affairs Dumiso Dabengwa that he was not expelled from the ruling party.

Didymus Mutasa who is the Minister of lands and state security was quoted by the state newspaper (The Herald) saying Dabengwa automatically expelled himself from ZANU PF when he decided to join Dr Simba Makoni earlier this year.

Mutasa said: "The ruling party's policy and even its constitution is very clear on the matter and I cannot understand him when he claims he is still Zanu-PF. He automatically dismissed himself from the party and there is no reason for anyone of us to go and tell him what he knows," Cde Mutasa said.

Dabengwa was amongst the strongest supporters of Dr Makoni's presidential aspirations through his Mavambo project formed at the eve of the March 29 presidential and parliamentary polls.

Dumiso told journalists in Bulawayo recently that he was still a Zanu-PF member, but did not attend Central Committee and Politburo meetings because of the trivial issues tabled at the meetings.

"I just don't attend Central Committee and Politburo meetings because of the trivial agendas of these meetings. Did you ever hear anyone say I have been fired from Zanu PF?" he reportedly said.

Dabengwa has called for the expansion of the current negotiating team in South Africa calling for the inclusion of former PF ZAPU members in the talks.

Mutasa was also quoted by the Herald saying if Dabengwa was interested in the ongoing inter-party talks, he should do so through Mavambo.

"His fate is with Mavambo. If he wants to be involved, he should openly say so through Mavambo and not through the backdoor. Let them (Mavambo) make their request openly."

The three parties involved in the talks are all represented in Parliament while Mavambo did not win a single seat in the March 29 harmonised elections.

Dabengwa has also divulged his ambitions to form an all Ndebele party to represent the southern part of the country which is predominantly occupied by the Ndebele tribe - ZimEye