The political party of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has expelled a deputy minister, saying she is guilty of behavior "inconsistent with the party's principles."
The government-owned Herald newspaper said Thursday that Tracy Mutinhiri was expelled from the ZANU-PF party at the recommendation of its national disciplinary committee.
The paper said the dismissal means Mutinhiri could lose her seat in parliament, as well as her position of deputy labor minister in the country's power sharing government.
Last month, the committee charged Mutinhiri with "failing to be loyal to the party" and "bringing ZANU-PF into disrepute." She has denied the charges.
Local media reports have suggested that Mutinhiri was booted for her alleged close ties to former opposition leader and current prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, and his Movement for Democratic Change.
Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for 31 years, entered into a power sharing agreement with Prime Minister Tsvangirai in 2008 after disputed elections were held. The shaky coalition has had difficulty governing.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.
