Seven ZANU PF Politburo members on Wednesday failed to attend its meeting at the ruling party headquarters in Harare due to ill-health.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, ZANU PF First Secretary, President Emmerson Mnangagwa disclosed that the seven officials had asked for a leave of absence because they were not feeling well. He said:
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.
This comes barely a month after ZANU PF politburo member and Lands Minister, Perrance Shiri, succumbed to COVID-19, with 26 party employees having tested positive for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).