First Lady says VP must go before Congress Byo, Mash Central want VP Mnangagwa fired
VICE-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his lieutenants accused of fanning divisions within Zanu-PF, must be expelled before the party’s extra ordinary congress to be held next month, Women’s League leader Dr Grace Mugabe has said.
Addressing members of indigenous apostolic sects during the “Super Sunday” rally in Harare yesterday, the First Lady said those who are pushing the “Team Lacoste” agenda must be shown the door before the extraordinary congress to cleanse the ruling party of factions.
“The snake must be hit on the head. We must deal with the real snake behind the factions and discord in the party.
“We are going for the congress as a united party. Women who are involved in the Lacoste project, I say to you, ‘you are dead’. Chipanga, those youths who are aligned to Lacoste are gone.
“They must all be dropped before the congress,” said the First Lady.
Dr Mugabe said Zanu-PF must be united ahead of the extraordinary congress.
“We are going there as a united party speaking with one voice. People must understand that we have only one centre of power,” she said.
The First Lady said before the start of the extra ordinary congress, all the party office bearers will step down except the President who has since been endorsed as the party’s First Secretary and candidate for 2018 election.
“We are all going to step down except for the President who has since been endorsed. Some will get positions while others will lose them. Those who lose their posts will just go into farming. We are fortunate enough to have pieces of land to do our farming,” she said.
She urged youth to desist from being roped into VP Mnangagwa’s factional agendas.
The First Lady said in Bulawayo on Saturday VP BULAWAYO and Mashonaland provinces yesterday resolved to ask President Mugabe to immediately drop Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa over allegations of undermining him.
The Mash Central provincial inter-district conference was held at Chipadze Secondary School while Bulawayo province convened an emergency Provincial Co-ordinatimng Committee meeting at the party’s Davies Hall offices in the wake of disturbances witnessed at the Presidential Youth Interface Rally at White City Stadium.
Addressing the conference attended by over 1 500 people from the province’s eight districts, the provincial chairperson Cde Dickson Mafios said the President must expel VP Mnangagwa and his allies as soon as possible. Cde Mafios said in the history of vice presidents, the President has never been troubled by his deputy to the extent of addressing the nation like he did at the youth interface rally in Bulawayo on Saturday.
Zanu-PF Bulawayo Province unanimously resolved that under-fire Vice-President Mnangagwa should be sacked from his position in the Government.
The resolution, which was passed during an explosive meeting at the party’s provincial headquarters, Davies Hall yesterday, followed a proposal by the youth wing.
The decision came in the wake of heckling of the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe by party member Cde Magure Charumbira and a few others during her address on Saturday at the Bulawayo Presidential Youth Interface rally held at White City Stadium.
Zanu-PF Bulawayo provincial chairman Cde Dennis Ndlovu said the party leadership in the
Mnangagwa hired some youths to boo her when she took to the stage but she was not moved “even an inch”. province distances itself from the disorder that took place at the rally.
“As Zanu-PF Bulawayo province, we have unanimously resolved that VP Mnangagwa should be fired from his post for leading a faction that is opposing President Mugabe. The province also supports female candidature for the VP position. The entire Provincial Coordinating Committee also resolved to dissociate itself from the disturbances that took place during the Presidential Youth Interface rally in Bulawayo,” he said.
During the rally, a small clique of party supporters allegedly linked to a faction believed to be pushing for VP Mnangagwa to succeed President Mugabe, tried to disrupt the meeting by booing the First Lady during her address.
Cde Ndlovu said the majority of people who booed the First Lady were bussed from other provinces.
“It emerged that from the small clique which tried to disrupt the rally, most of them were people from outside the province, particularly the Midlands and Masvingo. They were brought in buses and coordinated by expelled party chairmen and known rogue elements such as Charumbira,” he said.
Cde Ndlovu said the provincial executive has resolved to take drastic measures against party members that were involved.
“The province would like to take this opportunity to apologise to President Mugabe and the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe. We want to assure them of our unwavering support and reaffirm that we support President’s candidature in the 2018 elections,” he said.
During yesterday’s meeting some party members suspected to be linked to a faction allegedly aligned to VP Mnangagwa, were chucked out. “In Bulawayo, he had bought some youths who booed me when I took to the stage. I could not be moved because I know how to deal with such situations. I do not even care,” she said.
Dr Mugabe said she was prepared to take disciplinary action against Mnangagwa on her own if the other Politburo members refuse.
She emphasised that President Mugabe was a good leader and that she will always give him the necessary support.
“I stand by the President to the grave. He is my President. He is an honest man. A man of integrity. He is the kind of man who tells the truth. He is a loving man and I will defend him to the end,” Dr Mugabe. said.
Women, she added, now want their VP’s position back and that the Zanu-PF constitution must be amended to provide for a female VP.
“Constitution provided for two VPs, of which one was supposed to be a woman. It was only amended to accommodate VP Mnangagwa when Mujuru (Joice) was expelled.
“We now want our position back. The constitution must be amended to provide for a woman VP. As Women’s League, we will decide on the candidate to take up the VP position.
“The initial amendment was a mistake and we will never allow that to happen again,” said the First Lady.
“I want to warn those behind the madness that happened on Saturday at White City Stadium that they should stop. It is very true that Bulawayo people are very angry over the insults directed to President Mugabe and the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe. The people behind that madness were not even invited and at no time did we request their assistance during the preparations for the Presidential Youth Interface rally,” he said.
“We can’t have a situation where people boo our leaders and certainly that is unacceptable.”
Zanu-PF national deputy secretary for Youth Affairs, Cde Mpehlabayo Malinga also condemned the people who heckled the First Lady, saying youths have a mandate to protect the names of the President and the First Lady.
“We will not allow people to insult our President and the First Lady. I know as youths we are easily manipulated by people and it’s always easy for us to get money for airtime and beer. As Zanu-PF youths our first commandment is to protect the name of the President and that of the First Lady,” he said.
War veterans’ provincial vice-chairman for Bulawayo Cde Naison Mashasha said they would soon hold a meeting to discuss the issue of factionalism in Bulawayo. He said his organisation fully supported President Mugabe. “We support what President Mugabe has said about factionalism and as war veterans who are loyal to him we don’t condone factionalism. If you think Zanu-PF is no longer your party, just leave us alone and form yours,” said Cde Mashasha.
Some of the party members who are accused of fanning factionalism include former Welfare Services for War Veterans, War Collaborators, Ex-Political Detainees and Restrictees Minister Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube, businessman Elphas Mashava and expelled youth leaders Davis Muhambi and Charumbira among others. - @mashnets
Those who were kicked out of the meeting include the provincial chairlady for the Bulawayo Zanu-PF Women’s League, Cde Eve Bitu, Central Committee member, Cde Anna Moyo and deputy provincial commissar, Cde Douglas “Bin Laden” Gangaidzo.
The Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Cde Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo said they don’t condone factionalism.
“In Bulawayo asifuni bumbulu (stubbornness) and I am saying to our children who are involved in factionalism, you better stop it! We have people who come from other provinces to soil our good name and undermining us. I don’t think we can allow such to continue painting us in bad light and clandestinely using names of our leaders to commit crimes,” she said.
Politburo member Cde Absolom Sikhosana warned party members against denigrating President Mugabe and the First Lady, saying such people had no place in the ruling party.