First lady Grace Mugabe on July 30 raised the stakes in Zanu PF’s ugly
fight between factions to succeed her 93-year-old husband when she took aim at a
faction linked to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
A few days earlier the first lady had publicly told
President Robert Mugabe to anoint a successor in a direct challenge to
Mnangagwa’s alleged presidential ambitions.
At the July 30 rally in Chinhoyi, Grace also leapt into the
defence of Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo and his Local
Government counterpart Saviour Kasukuwere, who have been described as kingpins
of a Zanu PF faction known as G40.
G40 is linked to Grace and reportedly wants Mugabe to
anoint Defence minister Sydney Sekeremayi as Mugabe’s successor. Standard reporter
Xolisani Ncube (XN) yesterday spoke to Youth and Indigenisation minister Patrick
Zhuwao (PZ) to get an understanding of the new dynamics in the battle to
succeed Mugabe.
Zhuwao, a nephew of the president, gave some insights into
what might be in store for Mnangagwa’s faction. Below are excerpts from the
interview.
XN: Please explain to us the developments in Zanu PF over
the last few days where first lady openly told President Mugabe to anoint a
successor now and the humiliation of Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. What is
brewing in the ruling party?
PZ: I think this has come about as a result of a rather
unfortunate whisper campaign that has been waged by Team Lacoste where they go
about lying that the president has indicated that he wants to leave his throne
to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, which is not true.
That is false and it has become very difficult for any
ordinary person to ask the president if the information being peddled regarding
his successor is true.
This is made worse when the narrative being peddled that
the president will pave way for VP Mnangagwa is accompanied by a story that the
person who has a longest relationship with the president is VP Mnangagwa.
This makes people think it is true. For long people have
been lying that I was with the president and he said so and so is taking over.
So it had become necessary that we protect the president
and the president is protected from these “command liars” in a manner that we
say, “look president, yes, we recognise what you said, the issue of succession
must come from the people, but the people have a lot of faith in you, they have
a lot of confidence in you, they welcome and really value your leadership, so
they expect you as a leader to not abrogate that leadership responsibility of
leading them and saying this is what I see as the best for Zimbabwe.”
We are saying since the president has been able to guide us
all along and has given us direction, he can also say to us here is the person
whom I think can take Zimbabwe forward, he knows all of us inside and outside.
XN: But is that democracy? Zimbabwe is not a monarch where
leaders are selected through succession.
PZ: No, no, no, no
ways my brother, if you want to take over, say it out and we, the Zanu PF
supporters shall vet you and put you there.
If you think you have the capacity and the support, not
riding on someone, the grassroots support, declare your interest.
No one has been denied that opportunity, we are only saying
stop abusing the name of the president lying that you are the preferred candidate.
The unfortunate part is that a narrative that has been
pushed by Team Lacoste is that, the president wants VP Mnangagwa when it’s a
total fabrication.
Let us stop lying using the president that he wants so and
so, no! Let the president articulate himself. If there is someone
who thinks that they are able, well, let them come out.
XN: With all these issues, where are we heading to now?
PZ: We are heading to a situation where we are now
eliminating command lies. We are heading for a situation where we must now
focus on ensuring that we preserve that legacy of the liberation struggle.
XN: There is this feeling among Zimbabweans that the
president and the first lady are trying to create a Mugabe dynasty. What is
your view as an insider?
PZ: Let me be very clear about this, the president is
trying to protect Zimbabweans first than himself. He is protecting the legacy of the
independence and the interest of the revolution.
XN: By creating a Mugabe dynasty?
PZ: President Mugabe has been selfless. I am a member of
his family, I know him well, that he puts the people of Zimbabwe first before
his own family.
XN: Well, one would say he has a nephew in his cabinet, his
wife in Zanu PF top leadership. Can that be described as protecting national
interests?
PZ: Yes, we are so many of us in government my brother, but
I am in government not because of my relationship with the president, but
loyalty and capacity.
I have the capacity and that is why I am a target in the
Blue Ocean document.
The first lady is there not because she wanted to be there,
but she was requested by Zanu PF structures to do so.
This was after they looked at her capacity and ability, so
don’t tell me about the dynasty. Those who are saying so know nothing, the
likes of Victor Matemadanda.
XN: What is your reaction to criticism that those pushing
Mugabe to name a successor are afraid of elections?
PZ: [laughs] it’s a very stupid notion to say the least.
Who is afraid of elections, power grabbers using lies or us who are saying let
the president name his preferred successor so that the people could choose? Can
you be clear on your question?
XN: Critics say the first lady does not have grassroots
support and the only reason she is influential is because she is the president’s
wife.
PZ: Have you been to any of her rallies? That is dreaming my brother. They must attend
any of her rallies and see how popular she is with the people.
XN: Some have said she is using borrowed powers.
PZ: You must remember the first lady was in Mazowe and
people went there requesting that she joins the party leadership and now you
claim she has no support.
Who are those who went to ask her to join the party? Those who are saying they have the grassroot
support outside the president must go and start their own parties and we see
what happens from there. [Joice] Mujuru tried it, [Didymus] Mutasa tried it and
it all failed. Don’t claim the support in a newspaper, claim it on the ground.
XN: Can the first lady pull those crowds without Mugabe’s
help?
PZ: One of the
things which you have to remember is that this is the first lady, and there are
two people in this country that are referred to as their excellencies.
His Excellency the president and the first lady. So this
whole thing that she is riding on borrowed power is nonsense, she is
inseparable from the president.
She is his wife. And probably, she is the second most
informed citizen after the president in this whole country.
This is somebody brought into politics by the people, they
had realised that things had gotten to a situation that was beyond
comprehension.
She came and dealt with Mujuru and now she is dealing with
Team Lacoste, the command liars, simple!
XN: What should we expect to see happening in Zanu PF in
the coming weeks?
PZ: We are going back to 2004. When Joice Mujuru was
elected as VP, the president asked, do you want her to end here or go up?
The president then said we shall see in the future, she did
not realise that she was on probation and ought to have behaved as such. So is
the situation today.
Some people did not see or realise that they were on
probation and started to behave otherwise. For the record, Zanu PF is united
and very strong.
The challenge that appears to be affecting Zanu PF is that
of those who want to grab the president’s power.
These people do not want to succeed the president; they
want to grab his power using lies and state institutions.
XN: Some are saying the centre no longer holds in Zanu PF.
We have seen generals threatening ministers, what is really happening?
PZ: The centre is holding and holding firm. It’s only a few
misguided individuals who have mischievous ambitions who are trying to do silly
things.
The concept of one centre of power means that we must have
all state institutions and agencies listening to one commander who is the
president. Not otherwise.
XN: But we saw General Constantino Chiwenga attacking
Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo, an appointee of the
president?
PZ: Don’t confuse individuals with institutions. we respect
the military, and we must all respect the military and its uniform but not
people who abuse the uniform to do illegal things.
I think you saw what happened in the case you are referring
to. Moyo responded adequately to the people who were trying to abuse the
uniform which we respect, and they were silenced thereof.
The problem with people who want to abuse the uniform is
that when we hit them back, they should not say we are hitting at the uniform,
no, we will be hitting back at that person who is saying things that are not in
tandem with the uniform he is wearing but doing so using the same.
I think you know that an appropriate response was given and
silence is now the order.
If people want to say political things, they must take off
their uniforms and we shall deal with them appropriately than to abuse our
revered uniforms.
XN: 2018 is around the corner, do you think Zanu PF will
win the elections?
It’s a definite yes, we shall win by more than two thirds
majority and the president, I mean Cde RG Mugabe, will beat any opposition
hands down. standard
0 comments:
Post a Comment