Robert Mugabe sacks his deputy in Zimbabwe cabinet purge

President Robert Mugabe carried out the biggest purge of Zimbabwe’s government for decades on Tuesday, sacking his deputy, Joice Spill-Blood Mujuru, and several other ministers.

After allowing Mrs Mujuru to be publicly vilified for months, Mr Mugabe finally dismissed her as vice-president on Tuesday.

A statement from Misheck Sibanda, the cabinet secretary, confirmed Mrs Mujuru's removal, adding: "It has become evident that her conduct in the discharge of her duties had become inconsistent with the expected standard." Eight other cabinet ministers seen as her allies were also summarily sacked.

Mrs Mujuru, 59, served in Mr Mugabe’s government for 34 years and was once seen as his most likely successor. But the 90-year-old president, who has a long history of building up and then destroying potential successors, appears to have decided that Zimbabwe’s next leader must be his own wife, Grace Mugabe.

Positioning Mrs Mugabe for the succession required the downfall of Mrs Mujuru. The deposed vice-president was duly accused of numerous offences, ranging from corruption to theft to plotting to kill Grace Mugabe.

Earlier, Mrs Mujuru told the Zimbabwean press that the claims were unsupported by an "iota of evidence", adding that any “allegations that I alone, or together with various distinguished comrades” had plotted to remove “His Excellency” Mr Mugabe were “ridiculous”

News Source: Telegraph.co.uk

News Source: David Blair

Photo: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

#GlobalNews