The Sunday Mail
The Sharp Shooter Vukani Madoda
The public rant against Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, a sitting Vice President, by the Minister of Manicaland Provincial Affairs Cde Mandiitawepi Chimene, in full view of the President and Head of State and Government, was in bad taste for so many reasons.
An unapologetic and unbridled Cde Chimene savaged the Vice President who was sitting on Cde Mugabe’s right hand side in a televised show that was witnessed by thousands of war veterans who had come to show their support for President Mugabe following a vicious communiqué that had been released the other week.
No war veteran worth his or her salt has dared to claim ownership and authorship of the said communique.
While we respect Cde Chimene’s democratic right to public outburst and her enjoyment of freedom of speech albeit raw, undiplomatic and explicit as it is; she should at least have had the decency to differentiate herself from the angry outburst of known enemies of the State such as Tajamuka, Pastor Evan, Acie Lumumba or Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC.
Attacking the country’s second-in-command in full view of the whole world gives our enemies the impetus to also deride the VP without fear of retribution.
In fact, it gives the Lumumbas and the Douglas Mahiyas of this world the motivation to go a step further and undermine the authority President Mugabe himself.
The wanton public humiliation of the VP, by a member of his own party, can only exacerbate civil strife, alarm and despondency as various fly-by-night protesters can start to believe that it is acceptable to call for the resignation of a constitutionally elected President.
A case in point is one Patson Dzamara who erroneously now believes that it is normal to protest for the sake of protesting.
Cde Mnangagwa was appointed by President Mugabe to assist him in the dissemination of his duties and therefore attacking him like that is tantamount to undermining the authority of the President.
Going a step further to suggest that if the President is not able to relieve his lieutenant of his duties then she, Cde Chimene, could call for a special congress to help the President fire one of his most trusted right-hand men, is as shocking as it is treasonous.
The war veteran’s solidarity gathering at Zanu PF headquarters was supposed to have gone without incident but Cde Chimene decided to take matters into her own hands and settle personal vendettas in public.
The purpose of that meeting was to show President Mugabe that the war veterans are still a united front who support his leadership.
It was meant to prove to any doubting Thomas that the ill-gotten communique was the work of a few rogue and disgruntled sell-outs who persistently munch soar grapes in the false belief that the bitter taste of being expelled from Zanu PF will go away.
Regrettably, Cde Chimene decided to wade into the murky water of factionalism and successionist politics. Most of us cringed, our intestines twisted and turned, wondering where Cde Chimene had missed the plot.
G40 and Lacoste were not the agenda of the bona fide war veterans meeting.
Surely, this was not the right platform to discuss such issues.
But our enemies rubbed their hands in glee, who could blame them? Cde Chimene had just spoilt everything.
MDC-T, which has been in shambles following the recent controversial elevation of Nelson Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri to the vice-presidency of the party, surely enjoyed this debacle. Insubordination and indiscipline should never be tolerated in Zanu PF. The ruling party is principled and it follows procedure.
Cde Chimene’s stance, which might bred a spirit of defiance amongst the general citizenry by default, should never be allowed to flourish in the ruling party.
Otherwise we will have party members wantonly attacking each other or the First Secretary of the party, in public.
Political meetings are constantly held behind closed doors, take those opportunities to discuss whatever pertinent issues you might have.
Our enemies are no longer far afield, they are right in our midst. If we allow them to infiltrate us, they will overrun us.
Dubulaizitha!
