President Robert Mugabe yesterday gave the clearest
indication yet that he might be considering firing some securocrats he accuses
of meddling in Zanu PF’s internal battles to succeed him.
Mugabe told thousands of ruling party supporters at a youth
interface rally that the generals would be accommodated in government for them
to continue earning a living.
“This is how all governments are run,” he said. “We respect
our defence forces, especially those who are at the top. Of course they will
retire but we are going to find them room in government so that they do not
languish.”
An angry Mugabe last Thursday told military commanders to
stop interferring in Zanu PF politics. He also accused senior officials in the
ruling party of plotting against him.
Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo last
month described Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander Constantino Chiwenga as a
desperate politician in an army uniform.
This was after Chiwenga claimed Moyo was now a security
threat for his sustained attack on Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s alleged
“successionist agenda”.
Air Force commander Air Marshal Perance Shiri also joined
in the fray, launching an unrestrained attack on Moyo.
The two generals used the Sunday Mail and Herald newspapers
that are part of the state media, which first lady Grace Mugabe yesterday said
was being used by presidential spokesperson George Charamba to drive a wedge
between her and her husband.
Meanwhile, Mugabe told the rally that he would not retire
anytime soon despite pressure from within Zanu PF to hand over power.
“There is a talk that the president is going, I am not
going,” Mugabe said to applause from his supporters.
“The president is dying, I am not dying and I thank God for
having lived to this day. I thank God for giving me good life. I have illness
here and there, I go to the doctors like anyone else but all of my organs, my
liver, my heart are very firm, very strong.”
He told lieutenants jostling for his post to take it easy
as he was still committed to hang on to power.
“I know that there might be some who have ambitions that
they could also be president, I accept that,” he said.
“But I also think and recognise that having led the party
for so long and having brought the people together, this kind of unity, a new
man, they [opposition] will say it is now easy.
He said a new leader for Zanu PF will not stand a chance
against the opposition.
“Even the MDC that is being led by [Morgan] Tsvangirai will
say this new man is not yet known in the same way like me and the same
acceptance as I have managed to get over the years,” Mugabe added.
“So, I would like to see if the situation is ripe [for
retirement]. I would want also to see that we are united.”
Mugabe, who has been at the helm of Zanu PF since the
1970s, said he was worried that the ruling party was fragmented.
“But I find they [subordinates] are not united. Some are
divided along tribal lines, and some don’t respect each other and some say we
don’t want a Zezuru [leader] this time around; we also want to be in. Once you
have that kind of talk then you are not going to lead and unite the party. I
don’t have that kind of talk,” Mugabe said.
Zanu PF is divided into two distinct factions, with one
camp rooting for Mnangagwa to take over and the other known as G40 now
campaigning for Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi.
Earlier Grace told the crowd that the two vice-presidents
and herself were serving at Mugabe’s pleasure. Her statements seemed to be
directed at Mnangagwa.
“The three of us, myself, VP [Phelekezela] Mphoko and VP
Mnangagwa serve at the pleasure of you the president,” she said.
“The work we are doing in the party, we are doing it at the
pleasure of the president. Each time we err, the president can remove us from
the positions.
“Let me tell you something, it is not the number of years
you have walked with this man that matter but what matters is what we do during
his absence. Myself, Mphoko and Mnangagwa, the three of us, what we do when you
are not there, that is what is important.
“We were given jobs to do and we must concentrate on those
assignments. We must do our jobs knowing that we have been assigned by the
president and end there.”
She also revealed that last year she resisted pressure to
lead street protests that would have been used to force Mnangagwa out.
“There was a time when I was called last year by some
people requesting that we go into the streets in order to force Mnangagwa out,”
Grace said. “I personally told him about it.
“Even if you can ask him here. I confronted those people
asking them why we should do that when we are not the ones who appointed him.
“I told them that we are not the ones who appointed him so
if we demonstrate we would be making noise and insulting the appointing
authority in the process.
“That means we are insulting the president. I refused. “People were mobilised against Kasukuwerre in all the
provinces saying Kasukuwere wants to remove the president.
“They were saying we don’t want Kasukuwere and his brother
because he wants to remove the president.
“Is that possible, if you look at Kasukuwere, this young
man. You have a big belly but you are young, come here you two [Kasukuwere and
his brother Tongai], can you dislodge this old man from the throne who is
supported by this big crowd?
“We want to tell each other the truth. The truth must be
told now. I am saying this because Kasukuwere is a minister, a minister who was
appointed by the president and is serving as the commissar after being
appointed by the president.
“No one has the right to remove Kasukuwere without the
president’s approval. No one!”
At the last politburo meeting, Mnangagwa allegedly demanded
that action must be taken against Kasukuwere over the slew of allegations
levelled against him by the provinces. standard
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