‘NO-ONE IS BIGGER THAN ZANU-PF,’
… Mnangagwa warns 'ill-disciplined' top adviser
HARARE - Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly blasted the country's war veterans chief, who doubles as his top adviser, Christopher Mutsvangwa, following the recently held Zanu-PF primaries.
Mutsvangwa made headlines last week when he made suggestions that Mnangagwa would lose the support of war veterans and could also lose elections scheduled for later this year.
Mutsvangwa said this after he and several other officials, including cabinet ministers, lost the right to represent Zanu-PF in parliamentary polls.
"It is inconceivable that the president will win given that the party's members have been largely disenfranchised," Mutsvangwa was quoted as saying.
But, according to NewsDay, Mnangagwa took a swipe at Mutsvangwa, warning him and other disgruntled party members to be disciplined.
Mnangagwa said that no one was bigger than the ruling Zanu-PF party.
"The party is bigger than its individual members. It is a mass party, the people’s party. Zanu-PF is like a pocket, we can all fit in that Zanu-PF pocket. But if you want to take Zanu-PF and put it in your pocket, you will get burnt until you remove the party from your pocket.
"As such, we, as members of the party, must recognise the enormousness of the party and its rich ideology," Mnangagwa was quoted as saying during the launch of Zanu-PF's manifesto on Friday.
Mnangagwa said that although the party was looking into some serious allegations that were made during the primaries, it would not have any favourites when it finalised its list of representative in the forthcoming election, reported New Zimbabwe.com.
The internal Zanu-PF elections held over several days last week were marred by some chaotic scenes, mainly due to the late delivery of ballot papers and the absence of some candidates' names on the voting papers. There were also allegations of vote-rigging and intimidation in some areas.
"The days of imposition and chicanery are dead and buried never again to be resurrected no matter the person's standing," Mnangagwa said.