‘Mnangagwa perfect candidate for VP ’

Politics
A Zanu PF faction said yesterday that Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa should take one of the Vice President’s positions at Zanu PF’s elective congress in December.

Kwekwe — A Zanu PF faction said yesterday that Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa should take one of the Vice President’s positions at Zanu PF’s elective congress in December.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

Zanu PF will hold its watershed congress from December 2 to 7 in Harare.

Mnangagwa and Vice President Joice Mujuru reportedly lead factions that are battling to succeed President Robert Mugabe. The two however, have consistently denied harbouring Presidential ambitions.

Without directly naming Mnangagwa, Zhombe MP Daniel Mackenzie Ncube said it was time for Kwekwe to present a united front so that they could elevate one of their own to the position of Vice President.

“We have to be a united front and go there to take the top seats. I will not tell you who I want at the post of VP but if you ask me nicely, I will tell you,” Ncube told the Zanu PF inter district meeting.

Supporters began chanting that they wanted Mnangagwa to take up a VP position, to which Ncube nodded in approval and said “we are agreed on that one”.

The endorsement comes barely a week after First Lady Grace Mugabe heaped praise on Mnangagwa saying Zimbabweans should respect him for handing over the VP’s post to Mujuru in line with the party’s regulations despite being supported by eight provinces.

The meeting was attended by Mnangagwa, his wife Auxillia, and senior party officials.

She said her husband was soft, calculative and loyal to President Mugabe.

Auxillia told supporters that her husband had stood aside while the position of VP was wrestled away from him at the eleventh hour after he was successfully nominated by eight provinces.

“He is a very soft man, even at home he does not shout, he is calculative and at times he can let you jump around or go forward but he will finally get to the point,” she said.

Auxillia said Mujuru got the position with just two nominations and warned that the time was over and Mnangagwa should claim what was rightfully his.

Mnangagwa told supporters that only two positions were safe at congress, that of President Mugabe and the Women’s League boss which will be assumed by Mugabe’s wife, Grace.

He said Grace has the ability to crush internal enemies in the party which has earned her the popular Mazowe Crush slogan. “Women saw what was happening in the party and they approached someone with a punch, who has the ability to crush so that she can lead them, this is Dr Grace Mugabe,” he said.

In a first, he also joined the slogan, Pasi neGamatox aimed at the rival faction.

Mnangagwa also declared that as long as President Mugabe had energy in his body, the party would allow him to rule over Zimbabwe. He said those aspiring to remove Mugabe should visit churches or traditional leaders to have their demons exorcised.

“President Mugabe as long as he is able, will rule Zimbabwe until donkeys have horns and if anyone is harbouring intentions to see his back, then I encourage you to visit the church so that you can be exorcised or brew traditional beer and call on your ancestors and ask them to chase the bad demons haunting you,” he said.