Friday 17 November 2017

MNANGAGWA RETURNS AS MUGABE CLINGS ON

Former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who left the country in a huff following his expulsion from the ruling party and government a fortnight ago, is now back in the country.
Affectionately known as “Ngwena” or “The Crocodile”, Mnangagwa went into self-imposed exile after falling out with the incumbent, President Robert Mugabe — his boss of more than 55 years.

But following the military’s seizure of power, unconfirmed reports suggest that the former vice president returned to his homeland yesterday evening to pick up the pieces.

According to impeccable sources, the 75-year-old politician is likely to be a key figure in the country’s transition from Mugabe’s octopus-like grip on power.

He is said to be cooling his feet at one of the army barracks, most likely at Manyame Air Base, on the outskirts of the capital city, where he could be directing negotiations for a power-transfer deal between his former boss and the military.

“The vice president is back and is at a military barrack, remember he promised that he will be back in a few weeks and true to his word he is now back,” a source told the Daily News.
Military experts say Mnangagwa could be lurking in the wings, ready to make his first public appearance since he skipped the borders.

With the military, which has always been close to him since the liberation war days in the 1970s, now fully in charge of Zimbabwe’s affairs, the threats to Mnangagwa’s life that forced him to go into exile, have significantly been reduced.

To start with, Mugabe is now under house arrest, while most of his rivals in the Generation 40 faction are either on the run or in detention.

According to Alex Magaisa, an expert on Zimbabwe based in the United Kingdom, Mnangagwa’s return will be triumphant, after his unceremonious exit.

“In the immediate term, it will be a glorious return for Mnangagwa after what seemed to be an ignominious exit. After what seemed to be the end of a long career, he is now on course to fulfil his destiny and lead Zimbabwe,” said Magaisa.

“He was for so long the proverbial water-carrier for Mugabe. Now though he will have the liberty to choose his own water-carriers. Yet they too must know that like Mugabe, they have created a monster that could haunt them in future,” said Magaisa.

Once considered the one to take over from the increasingly frail Mugabe, Mnangagwa’s end was inglorious after he had fallen out of favour with the incumbent’s wife, Grace, who also harboured presidential ambitions.

Riding on the coattails of her husband who has ruled the country for the past 37 years, Grace’s ascendancy in the top echelons of Zanu PF has been swift, and she was actually billed to be Mnangagwa’s replacement after all Zanu PF provincial structures endorsed her.
In his hard hitting press statement issued from exile, Mnangagwa dared Mugabe and his wife saying the country cannot be held hostage by two people.

“I would like my fellow citizens to know that I am now out of the country, and safe. My sudden departure was caused by incessant threats on my person, life and family by those who have attempted before through various forms of elimination including poisoning,” said Mnangagwa.




“Those who violate our arty code of conduct because they think they have now out grown Zanu PF are free to go and form their own parties. I will go nowhere. I will fight tooth and nail against those making a mockery against Zanu PF founding principles, ethos and values. You and your cohorts will instead leave Zanu-PF by the will of the people and this we will do in the coming few weeks as Zimbabweans in general now require new and progressive leadership that is not resident in the past and refuses to accept change. My conscience obliges me to uphold the code of conduct of my beloved party and I refuse to be drawn into a public circus,” said Mnangagwa. Daily News

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