Kasukuwere attacks Mushohwe, TheHerald
Zanu-PF national secretary for the commissariat Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, has vowed to fight Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Christopher Mushohwe and The Herald, whom he accused of setting an agenda to split the party and Government.
In an unsolicited interview with journalists on the sidelines of a Command Agriculture Field Day at Chaminuka Training Centre in Mt Darwin yesterday, Cde Kasukuwere who was flanked by his brother Dickson Mafios, said journalists at the newspaper had become a state security concern.
“You want to foment problems in the party, foment problems in the country. Allow us to concentrate on development. Stop being silly and idiotic.
“You are really now a source of security concern in this country. You have a tendency of trying to find stories, you write stories without a source. You say Kasukuwere did not support what was happening… I put money,” he said.
Cde Kasukuwere and the Harare provincial commissar Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe, have been fingered as attempting to sabotage Wednesday’s protests by members of the Women’s League.
Members of the Women’s League held demonstrations across the country Wednesday, demanding the ouster of the organ’s national deputy secretary Cde Eunice Sandi Moyo and treasurer, Cde Sarah Mahoka.
The two are accused of undermining the authority of First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe, denigrating Presidential appointments, corruption and creating parallel structures in the Women’s League.
Cdes Kasukuwere and Mashayamombe allegedly spent the better part of Tuesday night making frantic efforts to block the protests.
The pair was reportedly working with other bigwigs in various provinces.
However, Cde Kasukuwere yesterday challenged The Herald to disclose its sources.
“You write my name, and where is your source? That source must come out in the open.
“We know of course that some of you are on an agenda, factional agenda, trying to cause regime change. Forget it.”
He added: “President Mugabe is in charge, I am not in charge, and my loyalty will never be questioned. Tell those people behind whatever scheme they are trying to do. I am not scared.
“I am not a pushover. I am not Joice Mujuru. Do you even think I am Joice Mujuru? No, I am not! So I just want to make it very clear to you, Herald. No. Stop this nonsense!”
He said as the party leadership, they would support programmes from the Women’s League.
“So what has been going on, we support. Women have given us their petitions. We will look at the petition and the appropriate disciplinary measures must be taken.”
Challenged on his declaration that journalists at The Herald are a security threat, Cde Kasukuwere said the paper was fronting a dangerous agenda: “You run away from reality, you want to create animosity in the party. You want to set an agenda. The President of this country was chosen in 2013 and when we stand and say he is our leader, it’s because we are clear about the people’s decision, mandate that he has.
“I am not into factions. I am not going to allow a situation where you undermine the sitting Head of State.”
He further accused journalists of hiding behind the newspaper by quoting unnamed sources.
“Some of them, who we know, some of them are criminals, who will give you those stories to try to further their agenda.
“We are not scared of them. So I am saying to The Herald, get your house in order. You are not saints. You are not people who can threaten us. You are trying to split the party for your own purposes. No. We respect the leadership of our country. All of them. President Mugabe, his vice presidents, all the way down the party.
“If somebody says Kasukuwere sabotaged this programmes and here is evidence and that person stands up, where is that person?”
He claimed Zanu-PF National Consultative Assembly member Cde Jimayi Muduvuri was the source of the stories.
Asked who his rants were targeted at, Cde Kasukuwere said: “Everybody is included. If you want me to include your minister, say it, I will also do it!If you want me to say Mushohwe, yes, all of you. I will take you on, all of you!
The party’s national deputy secretary for science and technology, Cde Patrick Zhuwawo, joined his colleague accusing newspapers of running stories targeted at individuals in the party.
“You can’t run stories without any authority, especially when you tarnish people’s names. If that person has the confidence of what he is saying, they must come out.
“Now what happened is that there is a certain group of people that have become specific victims of The Herald,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mashonaland Central Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Advocate Martin Dinha attacked rogue war veterans and youths criticising the Zanu-PF leadership.
He, however, reiterated that the province was united under the leadership of Cde Kasukuwere, who is the highest ranking Politburo member in Mashonaland East province. “The party is strong in this province and can win any election even next week. This is the rear-guard of the revolution.
“People here will never sell out because they do not know anything besides the revolutionary party,” he said.
Minister Dinha the province stood strongly behind President Mugabe and the party.