PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe yesterday told Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa to leave Zanu PF, accusing his long-time deputy of plotting against him in the clearest sign yet that the veteran politician’s relationship with the VP is seriously damaged. by SILAS NKALA/EVERSON MUSHAVA
A visibly-angry Mugabe told the penultimate Zanu PF youth interface rally at Bulawayo’s White City Stadium that he could fire Mnangagwa anytime if his followers ask him to relieve the Midlands politician of the VP’s post.
The 93-year-old ruler appeared to be particularly incensed by a section of the crowd that earlier on booed first lady Grace Mugabe, who started the onslaught against Mnangagwa.
Grace had started the attacks against the under-fire VP, accusing him of abusing his authority to target opponents such as Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo.
Mugabe said he had been subjected to insults by Mnangagwa’s followers, especially from Masvingo and Midlands provinces.
He said Mnangagwa’s supporters had been bussed from outside Bulawayo toembarrass him and his wife.
“We are here in Bulawayo to make sure that what we do today will encourage people in Bulawayo to vote for the party,” Mugabe said in an emotionally charged but short address.
“This is the second city after Harare and we can’t afford to be losing it, but what I did not expect, which I had a bit of information about, is that some people had sent some persons to boo the first lady.
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“She speaks her mind. We cannot keep quiet. We know in Masvingo there are people who claim the province does not belong to President Mugabe but to Mnangagwa. The same is happening in Midlands.
“Every day they insult us. The president is ridiculed every day in those provinces by those people. There are some people from the provinces who inform us.
“We cannot have what is happening in Masvingo and Midlands where we are told these provinces are not President Mugabe’s but they belong to VP Mnangagwa.
“I am told off daily in the name of Mnangagwa. Did I make a mistake by appointing Mnangagwa as my deputy? If I did, then I can remove him, even tomorrow.”
Mugabe added: “If they want to form their own party with those who support him, they can go ahead. We cannot have a party where we ridicule each other. I don’t like that.
“Those who want to support me will support me and those who do not want, let them go.
“If things get to this stage, we say gloves are off and time is ripe to make a final decision.
“We are going towards 2018 elections and the special congress in December. At the congress, that’s where we will decide on a lot of issues, but I decided to say it here because I am annoyed.”
Before the Bulawayo showdown, Mugabe avoided mentioning Mnangagwa by name, but yesterday he was more direct.
The VP angered the president and his wife in August after a muted response to claims by his supporters that he was poisoned with ice-cream from Gushungo Holdings.
Mnangagwa insinuated that he was poisoned during an appearance at late Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa’s memorial service. Mugabe yesterday told those challenging his authority, especially from Masvingo, to form their own party.
“Just the day when we are supposed to be happy that we are concluding our interface rallies, we hear all this nonsense that people have been bussed to boo the first lady. I don’t like it,” he charged.
“So all those who say we are members of the party in Masvingo, be prepared to form your own party.
“We can’t have you insulting us day in and out. The likes of [Zanu PF chief whip Lovemore] Matuke, who are you? What do you think you are? Okay, go your way and we go our way.”
Mugabe said the congress would select a new leadership for Zanu PF, honour the party’s pledge to have a female vice-president as well as select members who would represent the party in various constituencies across the country in the forthcoming elections.
“Those who have a problem, the disease to think that they are more Zanu PF than others because they have the biggest provinces, leave them alone, they are not many anyway, and they are just a handful of idiotic fellows,” he said.
“The majority don’t like it, they are the ones who tell us what is happening.
“They tell us that it is being said Masvingo is not ours. Who says such a thing? Did we fight in the same war? During the war, we fought so that the country becomes ours together.
“We don’t want people with the mentality that this place should be run by so and so. Who are you to say that?
“We will kick you out, and we see where you will go.”
Mugabe thundered: “To hell with that, don’t accept that in your country. You must not listen to that rubbish.
“But what annoys me is that our VP has been silent about it, when in some areas he says he is the one we want to lead the country.”
Grace accused Mnangagwa of fanning factionalism and threatened that she would push for him to be disciplined.
She said Zanu PF would amend its constitution before the December congress to actuate a clause that paved way for a female vice-president.
“The clause was there and removed when former vice-president Joice Mujuru was fired from the party. Vice-President Mnangagwa knows we now want back our vice-presidency position,” Grace said.
She said as the women’s league, they would now sit down to elect the person to forward for the vice-president’s position.
Grace attacked Mnangagwa’s backers for vilifying her and claiming she wanted to start a Mugabe dynasty.
“If the people chose me, am I not a member of the party? You cannot accuse me of something that you are guilty of. When you [Mnangagwa] were appointed VP, didn’t you leave your seat with your wife?
Grace questioned Mnangagwa’s alleged loyalty to Mugabe, saying he once worked with Moyo to form a party to fight the Zanu PF leader.
“You were a minister and you form a party using state resources to challenge Mugabe. Is that loyalty?”
She accused Mnangagwa of trying to get Moyo arrested over alleged misappropriation of money from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund each time Mugabe was out of the country. She said the money Moyo is alleged to have stolen was used to fund Zanu PF activities.
“I would like to talk about Professor Jonathan Moyo. It was said he has a number of crimes. President Mugabe set up a committee to investigate him, and the committee found out that the money was used to fund party activities,” she said.
“The president instructed Dr Ignatius Chombo [secretary for administration] to write a letter to Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission on the matter.
“This letter was meant to state how this money was used. If Jonathan has a crime, let the courts decide that. Please don’t use your [Mnangagwa] position to fight your wars. I am the first lady and I have never used my position to gain unfair advantage.”
Mnangagwa sat close to his wife Auxilia stone faced as Mugabe and his wife took turns to attack him. The VP had received a rousing welcome when he entered the stadium.
