‘Was I wrong on VP Mnangagwa?’

Levi Mukarati in Bulawayo
President Mugabe has said some supporters of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa keep insulting him, leaving him wondering whether he made a mistake by appointing the VP as his second in command.

In his address to tens of thousands of people at White City Stadium in Zimbabwe’s second largest city yesterday, President Mugabe said a Zanu-PF Extraordinary Congress slated for December 2017 — as well as the ruling party’s Politburo and Central Committee — would deal with such matters once and for all.

President Mugabe said, “Zuva nezuva we are insulted. President anogara achitukwa ikoko nevanhu ivavo. Asi tine vanhu vedu. Ruzhinji rwevanhu vanotevera gwara, vanoda kubatana nevamwe, havadi hunya’nya ihoho.

“Ko, ndinotukwa muzita raVaMnangagwa kuti kuno ndekwa vaMnangagwa. Ko, ndakatadza here kuti ndiite VaMnangagwa as deputy wangu?

“Kana ndakatadza ndinovadonhedza mangwana chaiwo. Kana vachida kuvamba musangano wavo nevanova supporter ngavavambe.

“Hatingaite musangano wekunyombana pano, I don’t like that.”

In reference to the booing that occurred as First Lady Amai Mugabe addressed the meeting, President Mugabe said: “Zva oganaizwa. Takanzwa kuti kuri kuoganaizwa and I don’t like that.

“Vanoda kumira kushure kwangu vomira kushure kwangu, vasingade ngavaende.

“Those who don’t want, let them go; let them go – hatinyengerere vanhu. Hatife takanyengerera vanhu. It doesn’t matter who. Kana zvasvika pakadai tinoti zvasvika zvino pakuti tichiita final decision.

“Tiri kuenda kuma elections, tirikuenda ku Congress. Ku Congress ikoko ndoo kwaticha decider zvakawanda. Asi ndati ndizvitaure here because I am annoyed. Zuva ranhasi ratiri kuti takupedzisa interface tonzwa this nonsense? Hatizvide.

Zanu-PF’s President and First Secretary then expressed his displeasure at his deputies’ silence through all this.

“But what annoys me is that our VPs have been silent about it vari ivo vari kunzi tinokuti ndimi, kunoku ndekwa ngana iwe woti tonho. Aiwa, that I cannot accept.

“Tingadai tisina kunzwanana but we will sit down and discuss this matter tinosungirwa kugara musangano wedu and we will straighten these matters.”

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces also said, “Hatimanikidze, aiwa. Tinoda vatinenge tichiti ava ndivo vatungamiriri vedu tichavashara ku Congress zvakanaka-naka.

“Ndivo vatichasarudzawo pakati pavo kuti vamwe vazomirira maprovinces, matunhu avo.”

President Mugabe said people had been brought to the meeting to target the First Lady.

“But what I did not expect, which I had a bit of information about, was that some people had arranged to send persons here to boo the First Lady.

“The First Lady vanotaura zvechokwadi zvepamoyo, hatinyarare, tirambe tichinyarara tichinzwa kuti kune vanhu, na nhasi wese, ku Masvingo kune vanonzi vari kuti province ino haisi ya vaMugabe, province ino ndeya VaMnangagwa.

“Ku Midlands, the same, varipo vanotiundza, there are members vari ikoko asi vanhu vashoma ivavo vanonzi vari kudaro vanotinyomba.”

President Mugabe said those opposed to his leadership were free to leave Zanu-PF.

“We don’t go against the rules and principles of the party, we don’t

put ourselves ahead of the party and say tinoda ngana uyu, anodiwa

nevanhu hatimude.

“Uri ani unodaro? Ahh come on, anyway we will talk about this much more in the party neku Congress, kwese, Central Committee, kwese.

“We must straighten this thing and kill it vanenge vasingade vachirambirira, sticking to it, let them go.”

President Mugabe said war veterans should follow party principles.

“Ma war veterans, tinoda vegwara. Vasingade kutevera gwara hameno, ngavaende havo kwavanoda kuenda.

“Asi ruzhinji vanoda kutevera gwara re party nekuti vakagara vachiti isu tinotungamirirwa ne party, politics leads the gun.”