
This came as war veterans yesterday warned Mnangagwa to
guard against dumping people who remained in the trenches fighting for his
cause at a time the majority of current politburo members were merry-making
with the former First Family and plotting his downfall.
Sources yesterday said there was fierce jostling and
jockeying for top positions in Mnangagwa’s new administration with Water
Resources Development and Climate minister Oppah Muchinguri, Kembo Mohadi
(State Security) and Obert Mpofu (Home Affairs), reportedly eyeing the
Vice-Presidency.
“These people are trying to outdo each other so that they
land posts in the new government. Some are even trying to ring-fence the President
so that they have sole access to him and control the appointment process, yet
these are the same people who wanted him out of government,” a top party
official who declined to be named, said.
Muchinguri, however, dismissed reports that she was canvassing
for the Vice-President’s post, saying she would be happy with any appointment
given to her by Mnangagwa.
“Well, it’s up to the President to identify areas where I
could be of help or of assistance to him. If I remain in my position, I am
comfortable with it as I have always been,” she said.
Muchinguri added: “You will remember when we pushed hard to
have a woman Vice-President, I was at the forefront campaigning, but I did not
consider myself as a candidate as was the situation and case with the former
First Lady (Grace Mugabe).
She herself was doing everything, changing structures just
to fit her personal interests. In my case, I paved way for Amai (Joice) Mujuru
whom I respected because she was senior to me. So I am saying I am not a person
who is greedy, who at every juncture wants a position, no. I will wait until
the President decides what he wants to do with me.”
Efforts to contact Mohadi and Mpofu were fruitless
yesterday as their mobile phones were not going through.
Party spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday said he was
yet to be briefed on when the new Cabinet would be announced.
“I don’t know when because I have not been informed of
anything on that issue,” Khaya Moyo, who according to sources, is likely to
take a full-time job at the party headquarters ahead of elections next year,
said.
Former War Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa is set
to bounce back into Cabinet after leading a vicious campaign to depose Mugabe.
Mnangagwa’s other top allies July Moyo and former Finance
minister Patrick Chinamasa were also reportedly earmarked to have leading roles
in the new Cabinet alongside Josaya Hungwe and many others who fought in his
corner.
There was also speculation that Mugabe’s former
spokesperson George Charamba would be appointed to head the Information
ministry, but he will have to resign from government first before his
appointment.
The anticipated changes would likely have many casualties,
especially those perceived as members of Mugabe’s inner circle.
Those likely to be axed for being closely-linked to Mugabe
include Mines minister Walter Chidakwa, Joseph Made (Agriculture), Happyton
Bonyongwe (Justice), Mike Bimha (Industry), Lazarus Dokora (Primary and
Secondary) and Tourism minister Edgar Mbwembwe.
These would likely add to the list of known Mugabe
bootlickers, the majority of whom have already fled the country or gone into
hiding for fear of reprisals and stand no chance of bouncing back into Cabinet.
Former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and Local
Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere now believed to be hiding in Kenya,
Public Service minister Patrick Zhuwao and Foreign Affairs minister Walter
Mzembi could be ruled out of the race as they were perceived to be G40 kingpins
who fought viciously for Grace Mugabe to succeed her 93-year-old husband before
Mugabe threw in the towel last Tuesday following pressure from the military,
citizens and his regional peers.
Addressing an extraordinary Zanu PF Manicaland provincial
co-ordinating committee meeting yesterday, Muchinguri praised Mnangagwa for
holding back when he was publicly dressed down by junior party members among
them former First Lady Grace.
“Mnangagwa did not fight back. He is a mature person, he
was attacked and you would see him smiling, we need healing, our journey was
difficult, but don’t allow your wives into politics. I was given a Lacoste face
and I was happy because I was in the right faction,’’ she said.
“There are issues in other provinces. We don’t want to
follow what was done by the G4O faction, our decisions should not be controlled
by emotions. I am told in Mashonaland East David Parirenyatwa and Sydney
Sekeremayi have been sacked, we need a healing journey. We should not expel
each other, we are not like G40, but people should reform. People were given
money to support certain figures, some members in the G4O used Grace Mugabe to
gain power.”
Zanu PF secretary for legal affairs Chinamasa, who also
doubled as Finance minister before his recent demotion to the Cyber Security
ministry told the gathering that Grace clandestinely ran government business
since 2013 after usurping executive powers from increasingly frail Mugabe.
“Let me tell you one thing, Grace had been ruling the
country since 2013. After the elections, she was the one in power,’’ Chinamasa
said.
Addressing a similar gathering in Mashonaland East
province, provincial chairperson Joel Biggie Matiza claimed he had received
orders from “the top” to stop the purging of Mugabe’s allies.
This was after 36 top officials had been shortlisted for
suspension over their alleged G40 links. These included Sekeramayi,
Parirenyatwa, Bimha, Charity Manyeruke, Lawrence Katsiru, Bernard Makokove,
Jeremiah Chiwetu, Biata Nyamupinga, Foster Gwanzura and Kelvin Mutsvairo, among
others.
Yesterday, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’
Association (ZNLWVA) called on Mnangagwa to dump cowards who allowed the party
to be captured while they clapped hands.
“We have noticed that there are people who used to clap
hands while Mnangagwa was being insulted by Grace, they failed to protect the
ethos of the revolution and hide behind a finger while feeding their own
stomachs, yet now they are ring-fencing our President for selfish reasons. We
appeal to our President not to allow these thieves anywhere close to power,”
ZNLWVA Mashonaland West chairman and Sanyati MP Blessing Geza said at a Press
conference. Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment