Seven Zanu PF politburo members yesterday failed to attend its meeting at the ruling party headquarters in Harare as they are not feeling well.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the seven party bigwigs had asked for leave of absence because they were not feeling well.
This comes barely a month after politburo member and Agriculture minister Penance Shiri died of the lethal Covid-19 pandemic. He was declared a national hero and buried at the National Heroes Acre.
“I have received an apology from comrade Sydney Sekeramayi who is not well, comrade Simbarashe Mumbengegwi who is in quarantine after we had sent him to attend the funeral of former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa, Lovemore Matuke who is not well, Josiah Hungwe who is not too well, Joshua Malinga who is not well, Christopher Mutsvangwa who is not well, Engelbert Rugeje who is not well and Richard Ndlovu, a newly-appointed member of the politburo,” Mnangagwa said.
This comes as acting Zanu PF secretary for information and publicity Patrick Chinamasa recently announced that 26 party employees had tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19).