ZANU PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo has voiced out that former Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono’s hopes
to enter the senate are not closed at all as previously claimed by Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mr. Gumbo indicated to ZimEye that Mnangagwa is actually causing sabotage on Gono’s hopes for the senate.
Gumbo told ZimEye that following the politburo meeting on Tuesday, Mnangagwa was tasked to lead a committee that should engage the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission with a view of finding legal ways of ensuring Gono who as an unregistered candidate for the Buhera area does not qualify, is given access for the elevation.
Mnangagwa who is believed to be leading his own faction in the race to succeed President Robert Mugabe on Wednesday said that Gono’s chances for the senate were now sealed for good. This contradicted Rugare Gumbo’s position on the matter.
“I stand by my story. I am the party spokesperson and I stand by my statement (which is final),” Mr Gumbo told ZimEye on Thursday morning.
When asked if there are any prospects of Gideon Gono being raised to the contentious senatorial seat, he replied saying, “what we are saying is what I said that we are going to go along with chairperson Makarau’s position. But it is unfortunate because Mnangagwa is supposed to be chairing the committee tasked to look into the matter but he is doing the opposite of what he is supposed to do,” said Gumbo.
 
 
 
Herald Offside claims.
Gumbo also earlier dismissed claims in a Herald editorial claiming that he had gone offside in attacking the paper. He said that Mugabe is concerned over The Herald’s said “biased reportage”. President Mugabe has already blasted Minister of Information and Media Jonathan Moyo for washing the party’s dirty linen in public.
A source told ZimEye of the rebuke Mugabe felled into Jonathan Moyo, saying “yesterday after the cabinet meeting, the President approached Minister Moyo and asked him why he was victimizing Mliswa.In his words he said ‘why are you victimizing that boy?,’ a senior ZANU(PF) cabinet minister who sits in the politburo told ZimEye Wednesday. They continued,
“the president in our presence said the fight should stop forthwith but we do not know whether the ‘old man’ meant to forgive Mliswa or what because we are going to discuss his issue in the politburo meeting today,” they said.
 
Meanwhile, it emerged both Gideon Gono and Rugare Gumbo allegedly belong to the Joice Mujuru faction which is seeking to have her succeed President Robert Mugabe.