Mnangagwa shuts door on ex-minister

Published: 27 April 2018

Former Cabinet minister Flora Buka's comeback bid into frontline political participation in Zanu-PF has suffered a big blow after the politburo rejected her participation in Sunday's hugely-anticipated party primary elections.

However, and although Buka had by late yesterday not officially heard from President Emmerson Mnangagwa whether her appeal to him had succeeded or not, the former minister of State in then vice president Joice Mujuru's office said defiantly that she was "on the ground campaigning".

Buka was due to contest rival and incumbent MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena for the Gokwe Nembudziya constituency on Sunday before her name was excluded from the final list of approved candidates for the primary elections.

When contacted by the Daily News, she said she was not keen to comment much on whether she would be given the green light to contest, referring further questions to Zanu-PF national political commissar Engelbert Rugeje and party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo who were both not reachable.

"I am not at liberty to discuss that issue. You need to talk to the party's leadership. They will be able to clarify it for you," Buka said.

However, well-placed sources told the Daily News that Buka had "paid the price" for her alleged role in supporting a motion which had led to the expulsion of Mnangagwa from Zanu-PF on November 8 last year.

"When Mnangagwa was expelled from Zanu-PF, Buka, during a bogus provincial meeting, pushed a motion supporting the expulsion of ED.

"Her (Buka's) name had been submitted to the politburo after it was grudgingly approved by the provincial elections directorate (PED) which still had reservations over her previous transgressions against both Mnangagwa and the party in the province," one of the sources said.

Buka was suspended from the party for fraternising with Mujuru in 2014 together with several senior party officials in the run-up to Zanu-PF's hotly-disputed congress of that year.

Other sources also said it was possible that she "might be given relief and allowed to stand on the party's ticket for the senatorial seat".

Buka, who is said to have hit hard times, was in February this year dragged to the High Court after failing to pay $87 000 owed to a local company, Paperhole Investments, after she signed an acknowledgement of debt for unspecified services which became the basis for the court action.
- dailynews

Tags: Mnangagwa,