PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa continues to be haunted by the
G40 ghosts, a coterie of Zanu PF apparatchiks who almost succeeded in pushing
him out of power in 2017.
Addressing the Zanu PF youth league national assembly in
Harare yesterday, Mnangagwa said G40 elements remained in the ruling party and
needed to be flushed out from all structures of the party to entrench loyalty
to his leadership.
“Unity, unity is key in Zanu PF and in the country. The
party cannot fit in the pockets of the President, but the President fits in the
pocket of the party,” Mnangagwa said.
“I, however, commend those who have remained loyal and
faithful to the party and its leadership, especially these moments of
manifestations by those we perceive to be one of us. I encourage you all to
continue to work hard for the good of the party and guard against the whims of
the enemies of our party. We still have elements of the G40 participating among
us as wolves in sheep’s clothing. These must be flushed out, not only in the
youth league, but also within the rank and file of the party in general.”
Since taking over power through a military coup in November
2017, Mnangagwa, however, appeared to be also preaching forgiveness within the
party, saying he would “let bygones be bygones”.
His latest call to flush out elements allegedly linked to
the vanquished G40 faction received wild applause from the youth league,
already baying for the blood of some Zanu PF leaders appointed into government
and politburo, but had supported Mnangagwa’s ouster from Zanu PF.
Pulling no punches, secretary for youth affairs, Pupurai
Togarepi told Mnangagwa that these leaders were working against his vision both
in government and the party, calling on their ouster from leadership positions.
“President, you are hunting with dogs that don’t belong to
you. They are pursuing an agenda that does not support your vision. They are
using positions which you allocated them to further their own interests and
build their own legacy. We want to warn them that we are watching,” Togarepi
said.
He further told Mnangagwa that there are some leaders he
appointed who were now targeting individual youth league leaders through
lawsuits after they were implicated in corrupt deals.
“We want to tell them to take all of us to court, not an
individual because the person who spoke was not speaking for themselves, but
for all of us. So if they want to go to court, they must drag all of us,” he
said.
Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu recently
dragged deputy youth league secretary Lewis Matutu to court demanding $10
million compensation for injury to his reputation.
In a thinly veiled warning to Mpofu, Mnangagwa said the
allegations made by the youth league were done within the party and should not
spill
out.
“We have appointed an internal committee in Zanu PF to
investigate the allegations of corruption. These allegations were made within
the party, they will be solved within. Those who have ears have heard,”
Mnangagwa said, as he responded to the lawsuit issue.
The Zanu PF leader also said he was aware that some of
those he appointed into leadership positions were not attending national events
and failing to pull in the same direction.
“I have noticed that too, there are leaders who don’t
attend national events. If you are a leader, you have to attend those events.
We will warn them so that they start to attend if they want to remain leaders,”
he said.
There has been a steady push from the youth league and
other sections of Zanu PF for a Cabinet reshuffle, which Mnangagwa has been
resisting to implement. Newsday
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