VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a bare-knuckle
fight against his G40 rivals, saying it was now time up for the
“johnny-come-latelies” who had lately turned him into a political punch bag.
Addressing Zanu PF members at the late Masvingo Provincial
Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa’s memorial service in Gutu on Saturday,
Mnangagwa said: “Those who joined the journey midway now think the journey is
theirs, yet it’s not and will never be.”
Incidentally, most of his detractors in the G40 faction
reportedly led by First Lady Grace Mugabe and political commissar Saviour
Kasukuwere have no liberation war credentials, but are viciously campaigning to
block his bid to succeed soon-to-be 94-year old Mugabe.
In a jibe towards his detractors that they will fail in
their endeavour to demonise him, Mnangagwa added: “If you try to catch a fish
by putting a snare on a rock outside water, you will realise that you won’t
catch it.”
Grace told a recent Zanu PF campaign rally in Bindura that
Masvingo and Midlands, considered as Mnangagwa’s strongholds, and required
restructuring as they had become hotbeds of factionalism.
But Mnangagwa shot down the claims, saying: “Masvingo is
the best province, whatever anyone says. Those who castigate the province don’t
know what the future holds and when things come to a head, we will try to see
where each one of us stands. Zvese zviri kutaugwa zvichapera kana nyaya
yaakusvika kumagumo (everything being said and happening now will soon be
over).”
The VP added: “Masvingo should not be intimidated or made
inferior. Let’s do our things in unity because there is nothing wrong with
standing by the people from one’s home province, so that in the end you are
found alongside your relatives. We are a sovereign province we deserve
respect.”
Mnangagwa also opened up on his food poisoning scare, saying
his detractors had attempted to poison him in the same way they allegedly did
to Mahofa at a Zanu PF conference in 2015.
“I have come to tell you that what happened to Mai Mahofa
in Victoria Falls is what also happened to me.
“I am making tremendous recovery. Those who wished me dead
will be ashamed because when God’s time for one to die is not up, he will not
die. I still have many years to live and the truth will come out,” he said in a
recording of his speech in the possession of NewsDay.
The Vice-President had to be airlifted to South Africa for
urgent medical attention following the poisoning scare at President Robert
Mugabe’s youth interface rally in Gwanda in August this year.
His loyalists accused Mnangagwa’s G40 rivals of poisoning
him in a bid to physically eliminate him from the race to succeed Mugabe.
Mnangagwa last month dismissed speculative reports that he
had eaten poisoned ice-cream from the First Family’s Gushungo Dairies, although
he did not dispute the poisoning narrative.
This came at a time Mnangagwa has filed a $3 million
lawsuit against Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo, accusing
the Tsholotsho North MP of making malicious claims against him during a
politburo meeting three months ago.
Through his lawyers, Dube Manikai and Hwacha, Mnangagwa in
case number 9108/17 alleged that Moyo made false and damaging allegations
against his person in a video presentation during a politburo meeting held on
July 19.
“Plaintiff’s (Mnangagwa) claim against defendant is for
general damages for defamation of character of the gravity and extent of the
case, pursuant to a video authored, presented circulated by defendant to the
members of the Zanu PF politburo and the general public on or about July 19
concerning plaintiff which was per se defamatory,” part of the summons read.
Mnangagwa denied that he attempted to kill former veteran
broadcaster Godfrey Majonga or forced him to seat on a hot stove and challenged
Moyo to prove the allegations in court.
“The video is patently false and contains numerous
fabricated stories targeted at damaging the reputation of plaintiff and
out-rightly tarnishing his character and standing in the eyes of the politburo
and general public.
“Specifically, defendant makes scandalous and fallacious
allegations against the plaintiff. All reference to the presentation and the
video in these summons are made with regards to its reference to an incident
involving Mr Godfrey Majonga, which include but are not limited to the
following.
“Plaintiff attempted to murder Mr Majonga … forced Mr
Majonga to either seat on a hot stove or alternatively jump from a window of
the third floor of an undisclosed building in Harare,” Mnangagwa’s lawyers
submitted.
Mnangagwa in his summons said the allegations made by Moyo
were patently false and have affected his credibility and undermined him as the
Vice-President of Zimbabwe and government official responsible for
administering the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs ministry.
He gave Moyo up to 10 days to respond to the summons,
although the latter was recently quoted as saying he was prepared to have his
day in court against the Vice-President. Newsday
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