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| Mugabe Said to Fire Vice President and 7 Ministers in Purge | |
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| LONDON — Moving ahead with a broad purge of his governing party, President Robert G. Mugabe of Zimbabwe on Tuesday dismissed his vice president, once seen as his heir apparent, and ordered at least seven cabinet ministers to leave their posts, according to the country’s state news media. | |
| The ouster of Vice President Joice Mujuru was the climax of a series of choreographed steps in which Mr. Mugabe, 90, seemed to be positioning his wife, Grace Mugabe, 49, for senior office in his party, ZANU-PF, which has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980. | The ouster of Vice President Joice Mujuru was the climax of a series of choreographed steps in which Mr. Mugabe, 90, seemed to be positioning his wife, Grace Mugabe, 49, for senior office in his party, ZANU-PF, which has been in power since independence from Britain in 1980. |
| Reports in the state media and by news agencies quoting government officials made no immediate reference to Ms. Mujuru’s likely successor. Much speculation has centered on Emmerson Mnangagwa, the justice minister and former security strongman and spymaster, who was passed over for the job in an earlier purge 10 years ago. | Reports in the state media and by news agencies quoting government officials made no immediate reference to Ms. Mujuru’s likely successor. Much speculation has centered on Emmerson Mnangagwa, the justice minister and former security strongman and spymaster, who was passed over for the job in an earlier purge 10 years ago. |
| Mr. Mugabe, in power for 34 years and known as Africa’s eldest leader, has remained at the helm of his landlocked nation through a combination of repression and guile, keeping potential adversaries off guard while using his access to the levers of patronage to maintain the loyalty of others. | Mr. Mugabe, in power for 34 years and known as Africa’s eldest leader, has remained at the helm of his landlocked nation through a combination of repression and guile, keeping potential adversaries off guard while using his access to the levers of patronage to maintain the loyalty of others. |
| Ms. Mujuru, 59, had powerful credentials within the party. She was a former guerrilla in the bush war against white minority rule that preceded independence, fighting under the nom de guerre Teurai Ropa, or Spill Blood. | Ms. Mujuru, 59, had powerful credentials within the party. She was a former guerrilla in the bush war against white minority rule that preceded independence, fighting under the nom de guerre Teurai Ropa, or Spill Blood. |
| But in recent months, Ms. Mujuru has been the target of a sustained and vituperative campaign by the state news media and the president’s wife, accusing the vice president of disloyalty and involvement in a plot to assassinate Mr. Mugabe. Those charges led to her ouster from the ZANU-PF central committee on the eve of a major party congress last week. | But in recent months, Ms. Mujuru has been the target of a sustained and vituperative campaign by the state news media and the president’s wife, accusing the vice president of disloyalty and involvement in a plot to assassinate Mr. Mugabe. Those charges led to her ouster from the ZANU-PF central committee on the eve of a major party congress last week. |
| At that gathering, which the vice president did not attend, Mr. Mugabe denounced Ms. Mujuru as the head of a “treacherous cabal” seeking to oust him from power. He also elevated his wife as the head of the party’s Women’s League. | At that gathering, which the vice president did not attend, Mr. Mugabe denounced Ms. Mujuru as the head of a “treacherous cabal” seeking to oust him from power. He also elevated his wife as the head of the party’s Women’s League. |
| The state-run Herald newspaper on Tuesday quoted diplomatic cables made public by WikiLeaks purporting to show that Ms. Mujuru had been in touch with American diplomats to discuss plans to topple Mr. Mugabe and seek funding if they succeeded. | The state-run Herald newspaper on Tuesday quoted diplomatic cables made public by WikiLeaks purporting to show that Ms. Mujuru had been in touch with American diplomats to discuss plans to topple Mr. Mugabe and seek funding if they succeeded. |
| In a statement hours before her dismissal was announced, Ms. Mujuru denied disloyalty, saying the charges against her were “ridiculous.” | In a statement hours before her dismissal was announced, Ms. Mujuru denied disloyalty, saying the charges against her were “ridiculous.” |
| “The allegations that I, alone, or together with various distinguished comrades have sought to remove His Excellency R. G. Mugabe from office are ridiculous,” Ms. Mujuru said in a statement published in privately owned Zimbabwean daily newspapers. | |
| “My loyalty to His Excellency and my country Zimbabwe is unquestionable,” she said. Without elaborating, she said there had been “direct threats against my person and my life.” | “My loyalty to His Excellency and my country Zimbabwe is unquestionable,” she said. Without elaborating, she said there had been “direct threats against my person and my life.” |
| She said she had been undermined by “a well-orchestrated smear campaign and gross abuse of state apparatus.” | |
| “I have become the fly in the web of lies whose final objective is the destruction of ZANU-PF and what it stands for and ultimately the present government,” Ms. Mujuru said. “A vociferous attempt has been made to portray me as ‘a traitor,’ ‘murderer’ and ‘sellout,’ yet no iota of evidence has been produced to give credence to the allegations.” | “I have become the fly in the web of lies whose final objective is the destruction of ZANU-PF and what it stands for and ultimately the present government,” Ms. Mujuru said. “A vociferous attempt has been made to portray me as ‘a traitor,’ ‘murderer’ and ‘sellout,’ yet no iota of evidence has been produced to give credence to the allegations.” |
| Ms. Mujuru said she did not attend last week’s congress after threats from the ZANU-PF Youth League. | Ms. Mujuru said she did not attend last week’s congress after threats from the ZANU-PF Youth League. |
| “I decided to stay away from inevitable public humiliation as was meted out to other unfortunate members of the party,” she said. “It was important to maintain the dignity of the office of the vice president even in the face of such unwarranted violence by a section of the party membership.” | “I decided to stay away from inevitable public humiliation as was meted out to other unfortunate members of the party,” she said. “It was important to maintain the dignity of the office of the vice president even in the face of such unwarranted violence by a section of the party membership.” |
| Mr. Mugabe’s purge of government ranks on Tuesday included some figures viewed as longtime allies, such as the state security minister, Didymus Mutasa. | Mr. Mugabe’s purge of government ranks on Tuesday included some figures viewed as longtime allies, such as the state security minister, Didymus Mutasa. |