'Joshua Nkomo turning in his grave,' says Grace Mugabe

Zimbabwe's late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo would be disappointed by the current factional fights bedevilling the ruling Zanu PF party, First Lady Grace Mugabe said on Tuesday.

She was addressing thousands of supporters at a "Meet the People" rally in Lupane, Matabeleland North, where she commended the party's leadership in the province for shunning factionalism.

"We earned our freedom after a protracted struggle and Baba Nkomo left us united. He said he is going to rest but told us to remain united. So if we forget what our father Nkomo instructed and taught us by being divisive, he will not rest in peace.

"Even all other heroes of our struggle must be turning in their graves because of this," the First Lady said.

"So I congratulate Matabeleland North for remembering what Baba Nkomo taught you".

Two distinct factions have emerged in Zanu PF as the party prepares for what might turn out to be its biggest congress since formation over 50 years ago. Reports indicate that Vice-President Joice Mujuru is leading one faction, while the other is allegedly led by Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. While both have denied leading any faction, indications on the ground show otherwise.

The First Lady said lack of respect for other people was the chief cause of factionalism, "where people fight for positions with the attitude that they are the only ones eligible for positions and power".

Widely regarded as the father of the nation, Nkomo and President Robert Mugabe brought their two feuding parties together after a period of instability in the early 1980s before he became Vice-President until his death in 1999.

"Yesterday we were in Matabeleland South. We know that the late Baba Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo came from the region, so when we come to the region we will be mindful that we had our great leader, Father Zimbabwe, who gave us the unity that we so cherish, with a mandate to maintain it.

"Along with Baba Mugabe, these are the two great leaders who were given wisdom by God to unite a country after realising that Zimbabwe would never know peace without unity.

"Baba Mugabe does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity. To him it does not matter whether one is Zulu, Tonga, Kalanga, Manyika or Mzezuru," she said.

She castigated men, in particular, within the party for causing divisions and fanning factionalism, adding she feared the factional phenomenon might cascade to the women's league which she is set to take over as chairperson.

"I say what has begotten into you our men? Because most of them (factional leaders) are men who are here with us, the spirit you are sowing among people will one day cascade into our leaders like (Eunice) Sandi here and others," she said.

"She will one day say ok, our men are arguing over positions, let me also submit my name for a position, then have many people fighting for positions? Is it what we want? There are many that I can't mention by name, who will say they also want to be leaders. Where will that leave us (sic)?"

She urged leaders to find ways of discussing differences rather than "washing dirty linen in public".

"You might be older than me in age but I advise you in my capacity as your mother to act with wisdom. I'm advising you that the right way to do things is to engage each other in discussions," she added.

"In English they say ‘don't wash your dirty linen in public'. This is exactly what you are doing. I'm pleading with you as our elders that even us as mothers, we also make mistakes but we need not discuss these mistakes in public (sic)."