President Robert Mugabe flexed his muscles at Wednesday’s long
politburo meeting in Harare, where he apparently rejected outright
passionate pleas by his influential wife Grace and other senior party
bigwigs for the late military chief Stephen Hurungudo to be declared a
national hero.
Well-placed Zanu PF sources told the Daily News yesterday that the long-ruling nonagenarian, the only leader that Zimbabweans have known since the country’s independence in April 1980, had allegedly “demonstrated beyond doubt” at the meeting that he would not allow his ambitious acolytes to “manipulate him through Grace” — a recent tendency that was said to be contributing to the further destabilisation of his warring party.
“The president was a different man on Wednesday as he appeared to be sharply aware of the scheming and manoeuvring of the over ambitious Generation 40 (G40) camp which stands accused of being in the habit of whispering in the ears of Grace, not because they like her but that they want to use her in their power grab,” one of the sources said.
Insiders said among the other people who had allegedly supported the motion to declare Hurungudo a national hero were Cleveria Chizema and George Rutanhire — a move that Mugabe shot down “without flinching” even though it was clear that the G40 had enlisted Grace’s support in this ultimately futile endeavour.
The nonagenarian apparently pointed out to the fact that the late war veteran had only recently been promoted to the rank of Brigadier and thus did not allegedly qualify to be interred at the National Heroes Acre.
“The president said the army should have recommended that Hurungudo be buried at the Heroes Acre and not the people in the politburo, and he had the backing of VP (Vice President Emmerson) Mnangagwa.
“The president openly contradicted what his wife said and made it very clear that he was the one in charge. Even though the First Lady tried her best to arm-twist him, the president stood his ground. At one point, the First Lady even whispered in the ear of the president with little success,” another source said.
Relatives of Hurungudo, whose body has been in a Harare funeral parlour for the past two weeks, told the Daily News yesterday that the war veteran — whose nom de guerre was Mao — would now be buried at the Warren Hills cemetery after the snub.
“Mugabe’s firm stance in the politburo was a direct reprimand to the ambitious G40 that has been gaining ground and has roped in his wife to stop Mnangagwa,” the second source added.
The post-congress Zanu PF is currently divided along two main factions, one aligned to Mnangagwa and the other fronted by the ruling party’s young Turks, the G40, that allegedly includes combative national political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere.
“To their discredit, the G40 camp has written off the president and is now working closely with the First Lady, constantly visiting her Mazowe orphanage and making donations to get even closer to her. Their agenda is to use the First Lady to block Mnangagwa.
“This group has successfully lobbied the First Lady and they engineered the fall of people like (former Harare interim chairperson Godwills) Masimirembwa. The group has also been working for (Home Affairs minister Ignatius) Chombo to be recalled from the government altogether, saying he was supposed to be based full time at the party, as the secretary for administration,” another Zanu PF senior official said.
There were also claims that Kasukuwere had his knuckles rapped at the meeting, with regard to his controversial decision to recall Masimirembwa — apparently with even Mugabe questioning the wisdom and procedural correctness of the ongoing purges in the divided party.
“In his defence, Kasukuwere said that Masimirembwa was free to contest in the forthcoming elections and assured the party that by December, restructuring of all provinces would have been completed,” another insider said.
During the epic politburo meeting, an unhappy Mugabe is also said to have asked his warring subordinates the reasons why they were “failing to learn” from the fall of former vice President Joice Mujuru, who was ruthlessly removed from Zanu PF for allegedly plotting to topple and kill the nonagenarian last year.
Mugabe was said to have been particularly incensed by overtures from some of his lieutenants that he reshuffles the politburo. He apparently reminded everybody that he was the only one among them who was elected by the party to lead it.
Another issue where serious fissures had emerged related to Binga and the land owned by the Development Trust of Zimbabwe in Mwenezi, where Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko had indicated that he had set up a board to spearhead developmental projects.
“After the president had spoken, VP Mphoko indicated that he wanted to make a report on projects he had been monitoring around the country, in particular the setting up of a board to oversee operations by DTZ.
“But VP Mnangagwa indicated that former party chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo, who was absent from the meeting on Thursday, had dealt with that matter and the President agreed with him,” another insider said. daily news
32 comments:
Mnangagwa trying to sideline Mpoko, lets move, soon we will know!
Hitler was MAD.in his last days...SO is Mugabe. ..A huge NUT JOB...DEATH TO THESE, LIFE ROBBERS..HE KILLED ZIMBABWE. FACT.
More factionalism now in the Royal family. Who will get VONCED this time?
Pane akafa kuZanu nhayi ako katateguru hakafi wena kungoviga vamwe
Mugabe in charge? what a joke,the country is burning with poverty yet Mugabe is wasting time fighting the dead denying them the opportunity to be buried at ZANU PF heroes Acre.The brigadier deserve to be buried at ZANU PF heroes acre.
It just shows the whole process of identifying a hero is muddled in politics . Why not have a committee that will vote after assessing , just like Dongo suggested . It's very wrong for Mr Mugabe to dominate and have a final decision on who should be buried at heroes acre . Is he going to continue to dominate the debate when he is dead. What a control flick . We heard Mutasa saying even cabinet ministers do not have the freedom to run their ministries as they see fit . Then Mugabe must take full responsibility for the collapse of our once vibrant economy.
Indeed spot on.
As a humble African I tend to know how people express their power in our culture especially the traditional leaders. However when it comes to politics the context tend to change as the leaders will be expected to tackle much bigger and complicated issues. If the power of a president is demonstrated through decisions on where ppopular people should be buried then thatmmeans nothing much is going on. At this juncture the politburo should be concentrating on serious bread and butter issues not deciding zvekumakuwa.
Our country has gone to the dogs.
Heroes acre or warren hills? Does that really matter?
First family inoda kubhaiza. The real power lies with Grace now.
This heroes acre thing is buuuulshit. Who would have thought Ndabaningi Sithole would not be buried there? Who is Grace to suggest who should be buried at the national shrine? She was only 25 when the country got into his boss cum husband became the Prime minister. How much does she know about the guarilla walfare? Nxii shame on these Zanu PF idiots......
Bull dogs really
She was actually 15 years not 25
Thanks Doode,it was my wrong calculation. Now imagine
Sad to see.this government could screw up a wet dream
Indeed. Pussy power. Mdhara achanyimwa gambi for the whole year becoz of this...
I said it, that it's a one man show and none of them has any input on anything from the ministers to the tea boys. It has always been Mugabe's way or the highway. That's why I asked the question that,'who or what is ZANU PF?' It is no longer an organization, just as Mugabe considers Zimbabwe his own personal property. He decides everything and they cannot cough without his permission. Simba Makoni said it and he was shown the door. We are doomed for sure.
Pana Ndabaningi Sithole vakaratidza kusaziva kwavo kwese. To some of us it became crystal clear that it all a big charade of who did you know, not what had you achieved. Even now it's become the norm, who would have thought that Border Gezi would be declared a national hero yet he was only two when the war was fought? Do you reckon the likes of Mujuru, Mutasa, Dongo et al will be declared heroes in their time?
Vamwe vachaiswa mugaba re baked beans pazara pa heroes acre isu kana hanya nazvo tichanosangana kudenga kuna mwari pasina mari
She was only 15 at independence.
Ditto.
You think he is getting some? The man is a prisoner of his own making.
True. He was the only person elected at the last ConGrace. The rest are appointees who can be fired at his whim. As Gutu said, we have created a strong man instead of strong institutions. And people like Ngwena who are lawyers let the center of power rest in one man and his concubine.
He might go on and on. Those planning to succeed him might go first. Zimbabwe is cursed.
U r the one who is mad
Loool
Sure I am the one killing 35.OOO kids a years in Zimbabwe. You arselicking moron. Mugabe is a nut job and arseholes like you keep him in power..fool
kudenga kwaunoziva here?
Zvekutaura nemafuza handidi
mhinduro yanetsaka? kudenga kudenga, wakamboendako? ndiani akaendako akadzoka waunoziva?
Kana vedzinza rako vakafa vakaenda kumwe kwaunoziva iwe sa Abel kudai wotiudzawo sezvo uchiziva kunoenda vanhu kana vafa
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