NATIONAL Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda is set to bounce back into his job after Zanu PF on Monday kept faith on him as head of the legislative arm of the state.
This came out of a Monday party politburo and caucus meetings which also resolved to deploy back to the party, some former ministers who failed to return to cabinet.
The new reshuffle shall see the late party national commissar Border Gezi’s widow, Tsitsi drafted in as Mudenda’s deputy.
Zanu PF has also elected to let go of Edna Madzongwe as Senate President in place of Mabel Chinomona who was Mudenda’s deputy speaker in the last parliament.
Former Energy Minister Michael Nyambuya shall be deputy to Chinomona and is set to replace Chenhamo Chemutengwende.
According to the new configurations, incoming Public Service deputy minister Lovemore Matuke who was Zanu PF chief whip, will be replaced by the ruling party’s national youth league secretary and Gutu South MP Pupurai Togarepi.
Addressing journalists Monday, party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo refused to comment on the matter.
“It’s a caucus issue that I am not at liberty to talk about now,” said the former Energy Minister.
Khaya-Moyo however confirmed the party has decided to make several senior leaders permanent employees at party headquarters.
Some of those deployed to the party lost in general elections July and will now get perks from the party according to Khaya-Moyo.
The Zanu PF spokesperson said following a meeting of the politburo on Monday, party leader and state President Emmerson Mnangagwa had deployed Obert Mpofu, Patrick Chinamasa, Christopher Mushowe, Paul Mangwana, Simbarashe Mumbengengwi and him as full-time party staffers.
Youth league deputy secretary Lewis Matutu and war veterans spokesperson Douglas Mahiya along with two others yet to be appointed although representing women and security, will also be employed by the party.
“The focus of the party is to refocus and the party re-organise after the harmonised elections.
“The politburo resolved that the party shall now be manned by senior party officials who are secretaries.
“These include, the secretary for administration, Obert Mpofu, the secretary for commissariat; Rtd Lieutenant General Rugeje; secretary for finance, Patrick Chinamasa; secretary for external affairs, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi; secretary for Legal Affairs, Paul Mangwana and the secretary for information Ambassador SK Moyo,” Moyo said as went through a prepared statement.
Mahiya, Matutu, Mangwana and Mumbengegwi lost in Zanu PF primaries while Chinamasa lost to an opposition activist in the July 30 general election.
Moyo and Mpofu were not reappointed into Mnangagwa’s new cabinet despite having won elections as Senators.
Moyo refused to reveal details on their perks although there are strong feelings they may have been enticed to abandon their cabinet posts through fat perks which would most probably be at par with those enjoyed by cabinet ministers and sourced from the national fiscus.
“Do we discuss about people’s salaries? We don’t and we can’t,” Moyo said.
“What is important is that these people are now fully employed at party headquarters. And will be taken care of by the party,” said Moyo.
Elections to find parliament presiding officers will be held this Tuesday and Zanu PF is expected to get all of them given its two thirds majority despite indications by the opposition that it will contest.
