ZANU PF Manicaland province has co-opted under- fire Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor Gideon Gono into its structures as secretary for finance, in a development that might strengthen MDC-T calls for his resignation.

Sources said Gono, whose removal from the central bank has been identified as an outstanding issue by the MDC-T in its power-sharing agreement with Zanu PF, is now among the top five most senior party members in his home province.

The sources said Gono was co-opted into the party at a meeting held in the province a fortnight ago.
“The governor is now among the top five most senior  party members in the province.


He is now secretary for finance,” said the source. “He was consulted before co-option which means he agreed.”


Last month, a Southern African Development Community (Sadc) ministerial team that assessed the implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) recommended that Gono be reassigned in order to solve the thorny disputes in the unity government.


The sources said Gono, who comes from Buhera district in Manicaland, was not in the party structures but was being fast-tracked up the political ladder by senior members in the province including Zanu PF

secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa.


“Gono was not in the structures but he is just being pushed by Mutasa,” said another source. “They want him to have political muscle to enable him to confront his enemies with political clout and not as an academic and technocrat as is the case now.”


Provincial chairman Basil Nyabadza confirmed that Gono was now a member of his executive.


“Yes, I can confirm that he is now the secretary for finance,” he said.


Nyabadza said the governor was already in the party structures in Buhera district where he comes from.
But sources insisted that Gono was never in Zanu PF structures.


The top five were supposed to hold their first meeting in Mutare yesterday but it was deferred after some members said they had other commitments.


“We did not meet today as planned. It (meeting) was deferred to next week because of other commitments,” Nyabadza said.


Mutasa could not be reached for comment last week.


Other members of the provincial leadership are provincial chairman Nyabadza, vice- chairperson Dorothy Mabika, secretary for administration  Ellen Gwaradzimba and a Mr Simanga who is the political commissar.


Sources in Zanu PF said the fact that Gono had joined the party was a clear indication that he will soon leave his post as central bank chief to save the shaky inclusive government from collapse.


However, his new political career has not brought him any immediate joy.


Last week, Zanu PF MPs gave the nod to an RBZ amendment Bill that will take away most of his powers.
Sources said Gono felt betrayed by some of his colleagues in Zanu PF after they joined forces with the MDC factions to push the Bill through Parliament.


They said the governor was rarely in the office on Thursday and Friday because he was feeling “very low”.
Gono’s advisor Munyaradzi Kereke demanded questions in writing on Friday but he had not responded by the time of going to press.


Critics blame the spectacular collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy on Gono for his policies, which were seen as an attempt to rescue Zanu PF’s waning support.


Mugabe has vowed that Gono will not be forced to leave his post.


BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE

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