Zimbabwe – 18 November 2014

Purging in ZANU PF
THE ruling ZANU PF party’s highest decision making body outside congress – the politburo – converged on November 13 at its national headquarters to deliberate on various issues affecting the organisation.
The explosive meeting resolved to suspend party national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo for five years who has been under fire in recent weeks mainly from his colleagues and the state media. Another big wig Jabulani Sibanda who heads the war veterans was expelled from the party for his divisive tendencies, while four provincial chairpersons who had received votes of no confidence from their respective provinces were also booted out. The Financial Gazette

Free and fair elections not possible says Mandaza
Political analyst Ibbo Mandaza told The Zimbabwean on the side lines of a recent Zimbabwe Election Support Network workshop that there had been no fair elections in the country since 2000.
“What observers regard as free and peaceful elections in Zimbabwe are the exact opposite, as the electorate is threatened into submission and, like cattle at the dip tank, they quietly queue and cast their ballot as instructed,” he said. Observers see the cowed electorate and wrongly assume that everything is normal. The Zimbabwean

Speaker to rule on MDC MPs recall
Jacob Mudenda, the Speaker of the National Assembly, will make a ruling on Thursday on the fate of 18 legislators that have been recalled by Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party.
Mudenda told the Daily News yesterday, he had not seen the letter since he was not in the office since last week.
He said he was going to fully respond to the MDC’s request. “I am not in the country as I am in Zambia for a funeral,” Mudenda said.
“I shall be back in the office on Thursday and I will be able to respond fully to the MDC-T letter. I don’t want to speculate on anything as I need to understand what they want. I am yet to receive a letter from MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai recalling the 18 legislators from Parliament. Zimbabwe situation

Tendai Biti set to lead united MDC deputised by Welshman Ncube
FORMER Finance Minister Mr Tendai Biti is reportedly going to lead a new party that is going to be formed by his MDC Renewal and MDC which will “have a new name, new logo and constitution”, after an elective congress slated for July next year, Sunday News reported.
Sources close to the development revealed that on 30 November the two parties would sign a “Re-Unification Agreement”.
Professor Lovemore Madhuku’s National Constitutional Assembly party, the source said, was also likely to be part of the new party and would also participate in the elective congress. Bulawayo24.com

Thousands of Zimbabweans could miss out on SA permits
Zimbabweans who applied but did not get the first special dispensation permits rolled out by the South African government in 2010 could number well above 30,000. And a greater number could miss out again.
As the Department of Home Affairs collates data in a bid to help those who are yet to get the documents they applied for four years ago, an inside source told The Zimbabwean some could miss out due to “confusion” in the department. Bulawayo24.com