ED & Prof: It’s a Tsholotsho thing

THE tiff between Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Cabinet minister Professor Jonathan Moyo stems from the 2004 “Tsholotsho Declaration” that saw the latter being expelled from ZANU-PF, President Mugabe has said.

The so-called Tsholotsho Declaration was an attempt to elevate the then ZANU-PF Secretary for Administration, Cde Mnangagwa, under the orchestration of a clique said to be working at his behest.

That failed plan saw Prof Moyo and several other ruling party officials being either expelled or suspended from ZANU-PF.

Cde Mnangagwa survived that purge and went on to become VP of the party and the republic, and President Mugabe yesterday intimated that this outcome could be behind the bad blood between ZANU-PF’s Second Secretary and Prof Moyo.

Prof Moyo has since declared that he will never support VP Mnangagwa’s perceived bid for the State and ZANU-PF number one job — something President Mugabe said the minister had made clear in the aftermath of the Tsholotsho Declaration.

The ruling party’s President and First Secretary said this at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura, Mashonaland Central, yesterday at the eighth Presidential Youth Interface Meeting.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said: “Uyu anonzi Professor Jonathan Moyo, hameno kuti vakasiyana papi naana Cde Mnangagwa.

“Pane Tsholotsho. Vakamboita Tsholotsho vari pamwe chete.

Vaivakoka naana Gushungo ari kubhora uyu, (Zifa president Philip) Chiyangwa, ndokwavakavamba ikoko zvichinzi ma (Zanu-PF provincial) chairman ose ngaauye asangane kwaZvimba kumba kwaChiyangwa.

“Havo murakatira machairperson vonosangana ikoko. Ndokwavaironga ikoko kuti, haa, VaMugabe vanozoitwa replace here? Tosapota ani? Tosapota Mnangagwa. Va- Mnangagwa vakanga vasiko ikoko. Asi vana Chiyangwa nana Jonathan vaiveko.

“Hezvo, zvozobva ipapo hanzi, ah ngatichinopedzesa nyaya dzedu ku Tsholotsho kwana Jonathan. Uyo wainzi ka ndiye mukomborerwi, wayiitirwa izvozvo, kana akanzi huya ikoko, akatadza kuenda, iye anoti, haa, ndakanga ndakabatikana ne- zvimwe, achitaura kwandiri inini.

“Asi vakanosungana kuTsholotsho ikoko, isu ndobva tazvidimbura tikati ah hoo, ndivanani vaiva kuTsholotsho? Ndobva tavaranga zviye; vamwe takava suspenda, zvakati kuti. Naiye Jonathan zvimwe chetezvo, we suspended him.

“But anoti it is at that point yaakaita differ naVaMnangagwa because Mnangagwa did not come out to support them; wakangoramba akahwanda ari distant from them.”

President Mugabe said he thereafter advised Prof Moyo to bear his cross and not stand in the Tsholotsho constituency as an independent parliamentary candidate but the now Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister obstinately went ahead and did as he pleased.

But the professor found it tough outside Zanu-PF, said the President. “Akazouya achiti ah kunze uku it’s too cold. Ya, saka patakazobvuma paye kuti, ah no, let us get veku- Tsholotsho back into the fold iye akazotiwo ndakudzokera kuparty,” said President Mugabe.

“Asi akazoti akutaurira Politburo kuti, ehh VaMnangagwa, I will never, never support you again, never!”

President Mugabe also chided Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere.

“VaHungwe navaKasukuwere mudare redu rePolitburo vakambomutsana, VaHungwe vachiti mukomana uyu arikuda kuzvivaka; kuchirehwa Kasukuwere, kuti agozotora masimba awane masimba ekuzosakisida President. Saka arikufamba achiti machairman aripo ibva achida kuisa vake, ndozvaari kuita kwese-kwese.

“Zvino ipapo, vakanga vasingataure nezve Lacoste neG40. Ve G40 iyi vakazviparira ivo vana Kasukuwere, ndivo vakazvipa zita iroro.

“Zvakauya sei? Obama akahwina kuUnited States; a young man ari muma 40s. Tikanzwa kuti ana Kasukuwere vakuti, ah Hurumende yakuda vari muma 40s vadiki ndokwakabva G40. Vana Obama.

“Saka vakambonzi vana Obama ivo vadiki ivavava; nekuti Obama ndoo age group yake ye forty-something, ndokwazvakabva.

“Havana kupihwa nemumwe izvozvo ayewa, vakazvipa izvozvo vachizvirova matundundu kuti, haa tinoda kuti tizopindawo isu vadiki.

“… Iwe Kasukuwere uri kungokunguruka zvako uri muno. Uri muno, nyika ine history yayo, kwatakabva ukuku kunotariswa kuti history yako yakamira sei, muparty imomo wakamira sei?”