Five more years for Mugabe as party chief

Published on Saturday 12 December 2009 23:31

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe was last night endorsed to lead his Zanu-PF party for another five years and vowed to resist demands by his opponents to reform the country's security forces.

As his party congress came to a close, he said Zanu–PF had emerged from its two-day congress much stronger.

"We go back much stronger, a better focused party raring to go, to take on the enemy who has sought our ruin through sanctions," the 85-year-old leader added.

Mugabe is in the twilight of a political career spanning more than half a century. But the veteran leader was forced to share power with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party after losing his parliamentary majority for the first time in March last year.

The coalition has been rocked by differences over how to share power and the MDC is pressing for reform of the security forces it accuses of being used by Zanu-PF to stifle dissent.

"May I state this clearly and categorically, the defence of our sovereignty rests with us and with no other," Mugabe said as he closed the Zanu–PF congress. "Any manoeuvres to tamper with the forces will never be entertained by us."

Many senior officers in the security forces fought in Zimbabwe's war of independence and remain loyal to Mugabe. They have vowed never to recognise Tsvangirai as leader. Zanu-PF and the MDC are involved in a round of talks to clear outstanding issues of a political deal signed last year.

The MDC wants the central bank governor and attorney general replaced, and party treasurer Roy Bennett and some senior officials sworn-in as deputy agriculture minister and provincial governors, respectively.

Zanu-PF passed a resolution yesterday rejecting the demands.