President Emmerson Mnangagwa fired Mashonaland West
Provincial Affairs minister Webster Shamu after the former Zanu PF commissar
was allegedly recorded declaring that the ruling party’s leader will lose the
forthcoming elections, it has emerged.
Shamu — infamous for bootlicking former president Robert
Mugabe and likening him to the popular Cremora milk brand — was fired last week
without any reasons being given.
But investigations by The Standard have revealed that Shamu
was fired for allegedly plotting against Mnangagwa and engineering the chaos
that engulfed Zanu PF’s recent primary elections.
According to highly-placed sources, Mnangagwa was left with
no choice, but to act against Shamu even though he had not intended to fire
anyone before the elections.
“Shamu did not like Mnangagwa and was always telling people
he thought were his friends that ED would lose the coming elections because he
is incompetent and not a national leader. This news reached ED in audio
format,” the source.
The recording surfaced after Mnangagwa’s advisor
Christopher Mutsvangwa accused the former minister of misleading political
commissar Engelbert Rugeje.
Mutsvangwa had lost in the Zanu PF primary elections where
he alleged there was massive rigging.
“It is inconceivable that the president will win given that
the party’s members have been largely disenfranchised.
“We realised that instead of being in the primary elections
to provide peace and a stable environment in which Zanu PF members freely
express themselves and choose their leaders, the national commissar, being a
political novice, sought advice from a rehabilitated ex-Gamatox commissar in
the form of Webster Shamu to turn police into returning officers,” the war
veterans leader said then.
Hundreds of Zanu PF supporters gathered at the party’s
headquarters where they threatened to vote for MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa
ahead of Mnangagwa after the primaries.
The Chegutu East MP was removed as Zanu PF commisar in 2014
along with former vice-president Joice Mujuru, but bounced back into the fold
at a time Mnangagwa’s allies were being purged from the party by G40.
Shamu bounced back from the wilderness after Mugabe sacked
Faber Chidarikire, accusing him of supporting Mnangagwa.
Chidarikire, according to sources, was haunted out of the
party for referring to Auxilia Mnangagwa as first lady when her husband was
still vice-president.
Another source said Shamu was indeed very close to Rugeje
and had become the unofficial advisor of the retired general.
“He had the ear of the commissar and is now being accused
of misleading him in an effort to ensure that chaotic primaries would result in
a bhora musango and ensure that Mnangagwa lost the polls, this is why he was
dumped,” the source said.
Zanu PF central committee member and war veterans
secretary-general Victor Matemadanda said Mnangagwa had always been a forgiving
person and had allowed Shamu to remain in his government despite his obvious
shortcomings.
“I cannot say for real what broke the camel’s back, but
suffice to say the president, who has been preaching peace, reconciliation and
letting bygones be bygones, had to act, and act he did,” Matemadanda said.
“If the allegations against Shamu are true, I believe they
are because the president acted on them, then he has nobody to blame but
himself.
“for a person who rose through the party ranks to the
position of political commissar, a war veteran who is supposed to be
disciplined, surely running away with ballot papers not once, but twice, is
despicable.”
Matemadanda said Shamu also had a way of setting colleagues
in the party against each other, causing disunity and discomfort among other
ills.
“There are a lot of things, which we know but won’t say
them because our president has said let’s move on,” said the war veterans’
leader.
“But he had a way of setting up comrades against each
other, and that is not a way to behave.
“We also have an audio of him saying never will anyone who
is not Zezuru rule this country.
“we have that recording, but regardless of that President
Mnangagwa kept him in his government.”
Shamu refused to discuss why he was kicked out only saying
he remained a loyal party member and would not like to challenge his boss.
Central committee member Larry Mavima said Mnangagwa was
always measured and calculative when he acts, and must have had good reason to
act in the way he did.
“He is not that person who just acts out of the blue, he is
not impulsive,” Mavima said.
“I know the president is not after purging people and he
has been sincere with his let bygones be bygones stance, so he must have
reasons, which are solid and sound, while it’s not my place to speculate on his
reasons.” Standard
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