PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday declared that he
would be in power beyond 2023 to foresee all the infrastructural projects he
has initiated.
Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony of a planned
Cyber City project in Mt Hampden just outside Harare yesterday, Mnangagwa said:
“The people who are here, you are the first to see this vision. Each one of you
must pray to see this vision coming to fruition. As for me, I know I will be
there until the project is finished and overseeing that everything is running
smoothly. I will be in charge.”
“This will be a new city, the city of government will be
built here. We already have the new Parliament. The Supreme Court and the High
Court will also be here and even the President’s offices will be built here
together with ministerial offices,” Mnangagwa added.
However, his claim that he would be in office beyond 2023
was viewed as aimed at quashing rumours of discontent in his ruling Zanu PF
party over his reported refusal to hand over power to Vice-President
Constantino Chiwenga in line with an agreement allegedly made in the wake of
the 2017 coup that ushered him into power.
Mnangagwa’s remarks came days after some key former Zanu PF
members claimed that he had violated tenets of the 2017 coup agreement stating
that he would only serve for one term and pave way for Chiwenga.
Immediately after his speech, a group calling itself Men
BelievED started chanting that the President would be in office after the 2023
elections.
Mnangagwa has also been facing growing pressure from
ordinary Zimbabweans over the dire state of the economy which has driven many
into abject poverty.
Civil servants are mulling a strike soon in protest over
poor salaries.
Former Zanu PF youth leader Jim Kunaka, who is infamously
known for leading a Mbare-based violent militia called Chipangano, claimed at a
Press conference last week that Mnangagwa was reneging on the 2017 coup
agreement.
“If they had agreed with Chiwenga that he would give him
five years to rule, what prompted him to change today, that he refuses to give
him a chance? There is no need to go for congress,” Kunaka, who now represents
the Zanu PF Original, told journalists.
“He (Mnangagwa) must honour what he agreed with Chiwenga
that he would rule for a single term. He has already created parallel
structures — Varakashi, Young Women for ED, Men BelievED … Those are now people who are loyal to him and
not the organisation itself,” Kunaka added.
Another former Zanu PF leader Godfrey Tsenengamu also
warned that Mnangagwa was going to lose the 2023 elections.
“You are going nowhere. If we reach 2023 and if you are a
candidate, you won’t win. The only thing you can do is make amends with some
people,” he said. Newsday
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