FORMER President Robert Mugabe’s last spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire has disputed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s claims that he reconciled with his former boss before his death, saying it is an attempt to rewrite history.
He said Mugabe died a “bitter” man in September 2019, two years after he was deposed by Mnangagwa in a coup in November 2017.
The late veteran nationalist was buried at his rural home in Zvimba, after snubbing the National Heroes Acre out of anger despite being declared a national hero.
Since then, there have been ongoing cases in the courts seeking his exhumation and reburial at the national shrine, where a mausoleum was built for him.
There have been allegations that Mnangagwa was driving the agenda of Mugabe’s exhumation, a claim he denies.
There was no known contact between the two before Mugabe’s death.
In an interview with the state controlled broadcaster last week, Mnangagwa shocked the country by claiming that he had ironed out his differences with Mugabe before his demise and is now in contact with his widow, Grace.
“President Mnangagwa did not meet President Mugabe after the coup, neither did Mugabe apologise for being couped,” Mawarire said.
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Speaking about the 2017 events leading to Mugabe's ouster in an interview with ZBC, Mnangagwa said he resolved lingering conflicts with Mugabe before the former President’s passing.
However, Mawarire said Mnangagwa never met with the late president after the coup, and nothing was settled.
Before his death, Mugabe described Mnangagwa’s administration as oppressive, as he backed the then opposition leader Nelson Chamisa in the 2028 elections against his former vice-president.
Mawarire added that if, by any chance, anything of that sort had taken place, it would have been leaked to the media, alluding that Mugabe died a bitter man and never met with Mnangagwa.
“With the government’s penchant for propaganda and Kodak moments, surely details of that meeting, and pictures, could have been leaked to the media,” he said.
“For the record, Mnangagwa did not meet Mugabe after the coup.
“Do you think if he could find an opportunity for a meeting with Mugabe after the coup, he would not milk it for propaganda purposes?”
Mnangagwa was previously labelled a “coup plotter” and a “coward” in a speech by Mugabe’s wife Grace at a rally that ruffled more than a few feathers in Zanu PF.
“Mugabe died bitterly betrayed by Mnangagwa, and some of us who remained close to him after November 2017 know the truth,” Mawarire said.
“If Mnangagwa really reconciled with Mugabe, why is he allowing proxies to torment his family, threatening the exhumation of the late president?”
Mugabe’s family members including his nephew Leo have previously said the former President died a “very bitter” man.
Mugabe, who died aged 95, was a totemic figure for his role in the struggle against white minority rule, leading Zimbabwe from independence in 1980 until he was toppled by his own army in November 2017.
