Zanu-PF Secretary for Transport and Welfare Cde Oppah
Muchinguri-Kashiri has said former First Lady Grace Mugabe dented her husband
Cde Robert Mugabe’s legacy.
Addressing a provincial co-ordinating committee (PCC)
meeting at Mutare Polytechnic yesterday, Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri, said: “By
allowing his wife to have an active role in politics, Cde Mugabe plotted his
own downfall.
Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri added: “I think it was a lesson to
all that we should not allow our spouses to dictate the pace in politics. It is
a shame that some churches were allowed to be used to preach the hate gospel at
their gatherings. A person with a degree will not act that way.”
On why she had relinquished her post as the Secretary for
Women Affairs to Mrs Mugabe, Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri said she had been pressured
to do so by a lot of people.
“Some people are asking why I relinquished my position to
Grace Mugabe in the first place, but I want the truth to be known now,” she
said. “I received so many visitors in 2013 ahead of our last Congress asking me
to consider relinquishing my post for Mrs Mugabe. Some of them literally knelt
before me.
“After serious consideration, I relinquished the post
because the pressure was just too much and little did we know that we were
creating problems for the party. This was a well-orchestrated move by the G40
because they knew that if Grace Mugabe becomes part of their cabal, it was easy
to deal with Cde Mugabe because of his advanced age.”
Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri called for restraint among party
cadres.
“I know some of you were persecuted by the G40 cabal, but
we should all show maturity and move forward,” she said. “Yes, we know that
some people were fired from their positions on factional lines.
“As we move forward, we should correct these anomalies, but
we should not fire people from the party. We do not want indiscipline in
Zanu-PF. As we restructure, we should never allow nepotism. Positions should be
given on merit.
“We should look for serious people to occupy key positions,
not what we were witnessing being done by the G40 people. At one time I asked
myself if we had seriously run out of leaders in Manicaland, especially the
Women’s League. People like Mai Undenge are known for their MDC links in
Bulawayo, but you were now saying they should lead you.
“You should not allow yourself to be used by people without
any track record. Some of the money that was being splashed around was obtained
corruptly and we will move to address that.”
Speaking at the same occasion, Zanu-PF Secretary for Legal
Affairs Cde Patrick Chinamasa said if people had voted Cde Mugabe as the
party’s First Secretary and President at the forthcoming Extraordinary
Congress, they would have voted for Mrs Mugabe to take over as President.
“When Cde Mugabe won the 2013 elections, we realised that
power was now vested in his wife,” he said. “Some of the things that we agreed
in the Politburo and Cabinet were being reversed by the then First Lady.
“Some ministers were making a beeline to Mazowe for
briefings by Mai Mugabe. We realised that we were not going anywhere with such
kind of leadership, the reason why we decided to act this year.
“We cannot have a leader who is known for shouting at
people and causing divisions. The so-called Youth Interface rallies were
destroying the party. These were well calculated to fire Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa
from the party.
“We were also fired on the behest of Mrs Mugabe. We said
enough is enough, the country cannot be led by a person who was not elected by
the people.” Hreald
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