DEFENCE minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri last week said the Robert Mugabe administration had failed the country in the 40 years that it was in power, saying the Emmerson Mnangagwa dispensation had done much better in the three years they have been in power.
Muchinguri-Kashiri, who was giving a vote of thanks after
President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned a Dairy Production and Milk Value
Addition Centre of Excellence at the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT)
farm last week, said she was recently left tongue-tied when she was asked tough
questions on the performance of government in the past 40 years.
She, however, said the country had realised meaningful
development in the past three years that Mnangagwa has been in power.
“President, I was being asked what we were doing in the
last 40 years because there was no development. The only meaningful development
being witnessed only started three years ago…where were you Cde Muchinguri, I
was asked,” said Muchinguri-Kashiri.
“I had no answer to that, President, but I later said,
maybe God wanted things to be done in the second republic. I am sure that was a
good answer I gave.”
Both Muchinguri-Kashiri and Mnangagwa were key members of
Mugabe’s government since 1980. The same government was accused of running down
the economy, gross human rights violations among other challenges.
Mugabe’s rule started with him as Prime Minister in 1980
and ended in November 2017 after a military coup spearheaded by Mnangagwa
working with the military then under the command of Vice-President Constantino
Chiwenga, who was the commander defence forces.
Observers said it was folly for the Mnangagwa
administration to accuse Mugabe of failure when they were vital cogs in his
Cabinet since 1980.
During Mugabe’s rule, Muchinguri-Kashiri was a known
bootlicker of the then President. She would stop at nothing to praise the
former strongman.
Muchinguri-Kashiri, however, said Mugabe, who is known for
building a strong education foundation for the country, had done nothing over
the years he was in power.
Despite accusing Mugabe of gross failure, Mnangagwa’s
government has also been found wanting with the economy being his biggest
failure as inflation, cash shortages and corruption are the order of the day.
On the political front, observers also accuse Mnangagwa of
following in Mugabe’s footsteps by closing the democratic space.
Mnangagwa has, however, launched an ambitious road
rehabilitation programme in the past two years, but has not been open on the source
of funds for the programme.
While commissioning the Milk Value Addition Centre of
Excellence, Mnangagwa said universities should churn out graduates who are
innovative and employment creators. Standard
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