The Sunday News
Harare Bureau
VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa should not associate with individuals who were suspended or expelled from Zanu-PF as this gives the impression that he is leading a faction working to unseat President Mugabe, First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe has said.
Addressing tens of thousands of Zanu-PF supporters at the Bindura leg of the Presidential Youth Interface Meetings yesterday, Amai Mugabe said those calling for President Mugabe to step down and hand over leadership to his deputy should cease and desist. The First Lady said VP Mnangagwa should publicly censure those using his name to call for the President to step down.
This comes after sustained attacks on the First Family by rogue leaders of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association as well as expelled party members who claim to support VP Mnangagwa.
She said: “. . . ini zvandiri kuzvitaurira handisi kuzvidza VaMnangagwa. Ndirikuzvitaurira kuti imi VaMnangagwa, kana vana vachitaura vachidaro imi makangonyarara, vana vachidzingwa, handifunge kuti chinhu chakanaka.”
Amai Mugabe said associating with such characters cast VP Mnangagwa in bad light, adding that the Vice-President’s wife, Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa, should not allow such people into her home.
“Vana ivavo kana vadzingwa, moonekwa muinavo kumba kwenyu, muchinwa tea navo muchinwa doro navo, handifunge zvinoratidza zvakana kumukuru we party. Isusu zvatairairwa isusu tainzi kana Amai vasingade kuti utambe nemunhu uyu akawonekwa pamba anozvamburwa.
“Saka imimi mai Mnangagwa mukawona vanhu vakadzingwa muparty vachiuya kuzoona baba zvamburai.
“Kana muchiti zvechokwadi muno supporter President Mugabe hamufaniri kuinteracter nevanhu vakadzingwa muparty. Vamwe votozokuigirai cup yakanzi ‘I am the boss’; motorwa ma picture, kana taaona tinokutsamwirai — hatiregeri.”
Amai Mugabe castigated people who were falsely claiming VP Mnangagwa had been poisoned via eating ice-cream manufactured by the First Family’s private dairy. She said she was pleased that VP Mnangagwa had issued a statement dismissing the falsehoods.
The First Lady added that only President Mugabe had the authority to appoint or remove Vice-Presidents, and she had in the recent past resisted attempts by some party members to sanction demonstrations against VP Mnangagwa.
“Zvino chiripo panapa ndechekuti ndakafonerwa nevanhu zvikanzi tinoda kuti tiyende nemi mustreet kunobvisa VaMnangagwa. Inini ndikati handibvumirane nezvinhu zvakadaro nokuti mukatanga kudaro makurwisa President nekuti ndivo vakaita appoint VaMnangangawa: hazviite.
“It was last year, three days before celebration yebirthday yaPresident ku Masvingo. Ndikati mukuona tirikuyenda kuMasvingo kunoita celebrate birthday raPresident asi makuda kukonzera mhirizhonga vambonyanya kutadzeiko zvamunoda kuti tinoita demonstrate. Kana musingafare navo endai kuna baba. Kana vanhu vasingafare nezvinoitwa naVice-President endai kuna baba monotaura.”
Amai Mugabe defended Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere and Higher and Tertiary, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo. Nine of Zanu-PF’s 10 provinces this year demonstrated against Cde Kasukuwere, saying he had set up parallel structures in a bid to unseat President Mugabe.
Prof Moyo is accused of looting hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund, a State entity that falls under his ministerial portfolio. The First Lady also said factionalism was rife in the party’s Masvingo and Midlands provinces.
“KuMasvingo vanoti pamberi na amai pamberi na baba, tinokudai, hatina maproblems kuno. It’s not true. Maproblems ariko kuMasvingo neku Midlands. Ndakambotaura inini kuMash West ndikati inini President ava kana vanzwa kuneta vakuda kuzorora ivo semember yeparty vane right yekuti uyu ndiye anogona kutora basa rangu; vane right. Ndadaro zvikanzi Amai Mugabe hamuzive consititution na (Paul) Mangwana kuMasvingo.
Unoda kunditaurira iwewe kuti handizive constitution? Ndinoiziva zvakanyanya constitution iyoyo.”
