Mutinhiri kicked out as minister

Sources said President Robert Mugabe is expected to send her a letter of dismissal from government when he comes back from China, where he had gone for a business visit.

“If that letter has not been sent to her, it means she will get it as soon as President comes back to his office” said one of the sources.“She has to leave office in the second week of December.”

Efforts to get a comment from Mugabe’s spokesperson, George Charamba, were unsuccessful as his mobile number was not reachable. Mutinhiri, former Marondera East legislator, was suspended from the party for five years after the party leadership found her guilty of undermining the party.

She was also accused of voting for MDC-T chairman Lovemore Moyo in the March elections for Speaker of Parliament. Zanu PF had fielded its own chairman, Simon Khaya-Moyo, who lost to the MDC-T chairman.

After she was accused of voting for the wrong candidate in an election where a secret ballot was used, she claimed that she had received death threats from Zanu PF activists.

Zanu PF claimed that it knew the identities of its MPs who had voted for the MDC-T candidate. Mugabe lashed out at the MPs in public, but never mentioned them by name.

Zanu PF activists invaded Mutinhiri’s farm in Marondera but they were later ordered to leave by party officials. She later claimed State Security minister Sydney Sekeramayi was behind the invasion because he wanted to replace her with Zanu PF’s provincial secretary for security, Lawrence Katsiru.Sekeramayi is the senator for the area.

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Mutinhiri expects to leave office anytime soon

In an interview with The Standard yesterday, Mutinhiri (pictured) said she had not received communication of her pending dismissal from Mugabe, but was expecting it anytime.

“I expect this because the Constitution says one ceases to be a minister after 90 days of suspension from Parliament,” said Mutinhiri. “Since I was expelled from Parliament on September 14, I expect to leave office anytime soon.”

Asked if Zanu PF had proposed a name to replace Mutinhiri, party spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said that was the preserve of Mugabe.