PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday broke his silence
and gave a chilling account of his arduous 30km night journey on foot through
Mozambique, while fleeing former President Robert Mugabe’s “hunting dogs”
baying for his head early last month.
Mnangagwa fled to South Africa shortly after his expulsion
from government and later the ruling Zanu PF party on allegations of plotting
to dethrone his 93-year-old former boss.
Addressing Zimbabwean business leaders domiciled in South
Africa, where he urged them to come back home and rebuild the economy,
Mnangagwa paid homage to former Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Commander General
Constantino Chiwenga, for
facilitating his takeover from Mugabe, who resigned
following a military intervention codenamed Operation Restore Legacy.
He said Chiwenga would be “re-assigned very soon”, giving
the clearest hint that the retired former ZDF commander was earmarked for the
position of Vice-President.
“I came here to pay homage to my brother President Jacob
Zuma. I spent a good 16 days as a ‘Diasporan’ here in South Africa
after walking some 30 kilometres crossing the border into
Mozambique. After I had been fired around 4 o’clock (on November 6),
intelligence had made me aware of the next move intended to eliminate me,”
Mnangagwa said.
“Fortunately, I found a [business] card in my wallet which
bore the name of a colleague here, (Justice) Maphosa, whom I phoned and he
picked me. I came here and I was well-looked after,” Mnangagwa said to applause
as a bespectacled man believed to be Maphosa stood up to be recognised.
Speaking at the same occasion, Finance minister Patrick
Chinamasa said: “He (Mnangagwa), following his sacking from government, was
immediately stripped of his security both physically and at his house. This
showed his security was not guaranteed, hence, he had to become a refugee here
(in South Africa).”
Mnangagwa also revealed he had been in secret communication
with Zuma.
“I had good communication with the leadership here, not
openly, you understand,” he said.
“Then, my colleagues back home asked me to come join them
in moulding our future. This is the young man and I have banned him from
putting on army uniform anymore. I retired him a few days ago, General
[Sibusiso] Moyo,” the President said.
Speculation is rife that Chiwenga would be appointed as
Mnangagwa’s number two following the decision to retire him early this week and
the appointment of former Zimbabwe National Army Commander General Philip
Valerio Sibanda as ZDF chief.
“And also General Chiwenga, I retired him two days ago, and
he will have another assignment very soon and we will proceed. We had our
congress last Friday and I was confirmed as Zanu PF president. Within six
months, we will have elections which I hope to win,” Mnangagwa said.
The President was expected to have appointed his two
deputies at the Zanu PF extraordinary congress last week, but deferred the
decision saying: “It will be done in the next few days, there are institutional
adjustments that need to be taken care of first.”
He was accompanied by Industry, Commerce and Enterprise
Development minister Mike Bimha, Chinamasa, Foreign Affairs and International
Trade minister Lieutenant-General Sibusiso Moyo, Transport minister Joram
Gumbo, Presidential adviser Christopher Mutsvangwa, secretary for Information
George Charamba and several senior government officials.
Environment, Water and Climate minister and Zanu PF
national chairperson Oppah Muchinguri yesterday briefly served as Acting
President while Mnangagwa was on a working visit to South Africa.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck
Sibanda said Muchinguri was appointed Acting President in terms of Section 100
(1) (c) (i) of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Mnangagwa arrived back home last night. Newsday
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