Enos Nkala, one of Zanu-PF's founding fathers and a former minister, has distanced himself from media reports that President Robert Mugabe told him he was "wanted to retire", according to a report in Business Day.
Nkala was quoted in The Standard newspaper as saying that Mugabe told him he fears that if he leaves now, the Zanu-PF will disintegrate and the country degenerate into a possible civil war.
Nkala told Business Day his "comments" were taken out of context by journalists itching to get a scoop, saying " ... when such things come out in the newspapers, it leads to a communication breakdown and loss of confidence in each other."
The interview in The Standard had the former nationalist divulging the details of their surprise meeting, and the one hour-long conversation with Mugabe touched mainly on Zanu-PF succession politics, the inclusive government and the future of the country.