Former President Robert Mugabe yesterday implored the
nation to rally behind President Emmerson Mnangagwa, saying his election
victory in the July 30 harmonised elections legitimised his leadership.
The remarks by the ex-president were buttressed by his
wife, Grace, who said they would pray for President Mnangagwa as his leadership
was God-given.
Mr Mugabe and his wife said this last night while
addressing mourners gathered at their Blue Roof residence to pay their condolence
following the death of Gogo Idah Marufu, mother to the former First Lady.
Mr Mugabe said it was time to put behind events of November
last year in which he resigned just before conclusion of his impeachment
proceedings by Parliament.
He said people should work together for the good of the
country.
“There was an election, Zanu-PF was represented by Emmerson
Mnangagwa and (Nelson) Chamisa represented MDC Alliance and results came out
saying the person who won was Emmerson Mnangagwa and I said now it’s clear,”
said Mugabe.
“You can’t dispute it. It is now clear. What had been in
dispute has corrected through the election results. We have accepted the result
and we hope that we will continue respecting the will of the people. The gun
does not and should not lead politics,” he said.
“All of us are now duty bound to rally behind the
Government. But we say those who want to contest should be allowed to do so and
after every five years, but we say for now the person who won is Mr Mnangagwa.”
Mr Mugabe said it was never his intention to install his
wife as President. He reiterated that he wanted former Cabinet Minister, Dr
Sydney Sekeramayi, to take over from him at the 2017 Zanu-PF congress subject
to endorsement by the party.
He said President Mnangagwa’s Government had returned to
constitutionalism after the election.
Mr Mugabe said he preferred Dr Sekeramayi because he had
entered into politics ahead of President Mnangagwa.
He said his wife was not qualified to be Head of State and
Government since she had never assumed any Government office either as a
Cabinet Minister or Member of Parliament and he never wanted her to assume the
presidency.
“Ambition to be a President,” he said. “How could she be a
President when she was never a Minister? There is a route one takes before you
become a President. You have to be a Minister or Member of Parliament. My wife
was neither of these two, so it was impossible for her to assume the post. That
is when I recommended Sekeramayi, after I had spoken to Thabo Mbeki, suggesting
that he becomes President.”
Mr Mugabe hailed President Mnangagwa for Government support
at the funeral wake for his mother-in-law.
Mrs Mugabe commended President Mnangagwa for his
leadership, saying it was God-given and pledged to pray for him.
She said President Mnangagwa had chartered a new aircraft
to fly her back to Harare from Singapore where she was receiving medical
treatment, to mourn her mother.
Mrs Mugabe said this demonstrated President Mnangagwa’s
kindness.
“We used to travel using commercial flights during our
tenure as the First Family. That has changed,” she said.
“President Mnangagwa charters a flight. It just takes us a
phone call. It was a beautiful plane, a brand new Gulfstream 650 from Qatar.
“If I get rich I will buy such an aircraft. I have never
boarded such a plane. The crew told me that I was the first person to board it.
It is my dream plane. I felt comforted. VaMnangagwa comforted me. If it takes
my mother’s death for us to restore our old friendship, then let it be.
“VaMnangagwa loves us. He knows we love him too. We pray
for him because it is God’s will that he is President of the country. We pray
that he be given the wisdom to lead the country.”
Mrs Mugabe said before leaving for Beijing, China, last
week, President Mnangagwa left a message assuring them that Government, through
Vice President Constantine Chiwenga, would take care of their funeral expenses.
She dismissed media reports that they were placed under
house arrest when Parliament instituted impeachment proceedings against Mr
Mugabe in November last year. Herald
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