Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe |
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday fired his deputy Joice Mujuru, a few hours after she dismissed
allegations that she'd plotted to assassinate the 90-year-old Zimbabwean leader
as "ridiculous."
Mugabe
also fired eight Cabinet ministers, Zimbabwe's Chief Secretary to the Cabinet
Misheck Sibanda said in a statement.
Sibanda
said Mugabe had dismissed his vice president "because her conduct had
become inconsistent with her official duties." Continue....
The firing
of Mujuru -- long expected to replace Mugabe -- came after she issued a
statement dismissing claims by Mugabe that she plotted with the opposition and
the West to kill him as not having "one iota of evidence."
Of the
eight sacked ministers, including a junior minister, Sibanda said: "It had
become apparent that their conduct and performance were below the expected
conduct."
'Plotting
to kill'
The
political upheaval erupted last week when Mugabe accused Mujuru of trying to
topple him and of being a "thief" of minerals.
"Wanting
a post should not lead someone into plotting to kill," he said in
reference to Mujuru, while opening his ruling Zanu PF party's congress in the
capital, Harare.
A day
earlier, he told his party's central committee that Mujuru, a Zanu PF member,
was working with the West to oust or assassinate him.
Mujuru
was seen as the likely successor to Mugabe until recently, when first lady
Grace Mugabe accused her of being "too dull" and "too
corrupt" to lead.
Analysts
now say the first lady is being groomed to succeed her husband, the only leader
Zimbabweans have known since the country gained independence from Britain in
1980.
On
Saturday, she was confirmed as the leader of the powerful women's wing of Zanu
PF.
Mugabe:
'I still have the will'
At the
same time, Mugabe has ruled out leaving politics, despite his advanced age.
"I
still have a bright mind, I still have the will," Mugabe said as he
officially closed his party's five-day congress late Saturday, in a speech that
lasted about an hour.
He said
he would announce a new lineup of Zanu PF leaders by this Thursday.
"We
will do a reshuffle. There will be disappointments. Those who are not here have
said goodbye to us," he said, referring to Mujuru and her allies, who have
been snubbing most party leadership meetings since the public attacks against
her.
Under the
new constitution of Zanu PF, Mugabe handpicks the entire leadership of his
party.
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