Harare — MDC-T ministers boycotted yesterday's Cabinet meeting, drawing a stinging rebuke from other members of the inclusive Government who saw the move as highly disrespectful and against the spirit of inclusivity.

The Cabinet session, which was brought forward to yesterday, however, went ahead and dealt with all matters on the agenda, Media, Information and Publicity Minister Webster Shamu said yesterday.

Sources said Deputy Prime Arthur Mutambara condemned the move by MDC-T during the Cabinet meeting, saying their action was unnecessary given that there were channels through which to air grievances or resolve sticking issues.

"While no official communication has as yet come from the MDC-T party, or to the Chairman of Cabinet His Excellency President Robert Mugabe, today's session of Cabinet unanimously deplored the boycott -- apparently the first in the history of the country -- as disrespectful and contradicting the spirit of inclusivity and the remarkable progress made so far under the inclusive Government launched in February," Minister Shamu said in a statement.

Noting the absence from the Cabinet meeting of Vice President Joice Mujuru and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, both of whom were on official Government business outside the country and only returned home in the afternoon, yesterday's session emphasised that as the highest policy-making body recognised by the country's Constitution, Cabinet deserved the utmost respect of all its members and needed to be shielded from the narrow agendas of individual political parties.

PM Tsvangirai requested from President Mugabe to spend an extra two days in South Africa -- from where he connected home yesterday -- to see his children.

Economic Planning and Investment Promotion Minister Elton Mangoma did not attend yesterday's meeting because he is abroad on official Government business while Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart gave a written official apology for his absence.

Minister Shamu said Cabinet had noted, appreciated and supported as genuine and valid the Chairman's (President Mugabe's) decision to bring forward today's sitting from the traditional Tuesday in order to accommodate the forthcoming African Union summit scheduled for Sirte, Libya, this week.

President Mugabe -- who is the Head of State and Government and, therefore, chairs Cabinet -- is scheduled to attend the summit alongside other African Heads of State and Government.

"Indeed, it (the meeting) appreciated that this was not the first time Cabinet days have been reworked to accommodate other pressing programmes and fixtures," Minister Shamu said.

MDC-T, in a statement, said they were not happy with the reasons that had been given for bringing Cabinet sitting to Monday instead of the traditional Tuesday.

Addressing a Press conference yesterday, party vice president Thokozani Khupe said although the party remained committed to the GPA, it was their right to consider disengagement.

She claimed this week's Cabinet meeting had been "unilaterally moved from Tuesday (today) to Monday (yesterday) to deny the recognition of the Prime Minister as chair of Cabinet when the President is away".

However, The Herald was informed last night that when the President is away, Cabinet does not sit.

Yesterday was also not the first time that Cabinet had sat on a day other than Tuesday.

Three sittings back, it convened on a Wednesday and next week's session will be held on Wednesday, according to Government officials.