Three months after President Robert Mugabe made a cabinet reshuffle, he is still failing to find a suitable person to appoint as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in Matabeleland South province.
High ranking officials in the ZANU PF Provincial set up claim to ZimEye.com that the President is failing to pick a person for the position in the province because a majority of the high ranking party members in the province are sympathetic to ousted former Vice President Joice Mujuru.
In the reshuffle, President Mugabe removed his self confessed most loyal son Abednico Ncube from being his eye in the politically sensitive province as Minister of state to a new Ministry for Cultural Affairs and Rural Development.
The party sources claim that the President “is at sixes and sevens in trying to come up with Ncube’s replacement” made worse following the ouster of former party Provincial Chairman and strongman Andrew Langa. Langa who is generally credited with helping the ruling party win all the thirteen seats in the province, draws a huge respect from party members who he is now suspected to have dragged with him to the Mujuru People First yet to be launched party.
Mujuru’s project is said to be threatening to totally take over Matabeleland South province as it continues to secretly gather very senior members from all the political parties.
The sources claim that the yet to be unveiled party is making massive inroads in the province which is likely to eventually turn out to be the party’s stronghold.
“Mugabe does not have anyone of trust anymore in the province and will not be able to come up with his best trusted resident Minister from anyone in there,” said the sources.
“This problem is not only with Mugabe but all the political parties no longer have anyone to work with in the province as the Mujuru factor has silently swept through the province,” added the sources.
“People in Mat South must wait for shocking surprises when the party is launched as some very big names from will be unveiled…”
Asked on who the President may likely appoint to the position, the sources claimed that the position is being earmarked for former Gwanda senator Japheth Dube at the recommendation of his trusted aides.