Obert Mpofu blasts Mutsvangwa over Mphoko's war credentials

ZANU-PF Politburo member Obert Mpofu on Sunday castigated war veterans' chairman for trying to undermine Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko's liberation war credentials saying the party would not tolerate mischievous elements trying to denigrate leadership.

On Friday last week, war veterans chairman Mutsvangwa told the private media that VP Mphoko allegedly ditched his regiment in Mozambique to enjoy life with his then wife-to-be, Laurinda, who later became his wife in 1977. Mutsvangwa said Mphoko "went AWOL" from Zapu's military wing, Zipra, after he fell in love with Laurinda.

However, speaking at the handover of a classroom block by VP Mphoko at Mbiriya Primary School in Tsholotsho, Mpofu said those either expelled or suspended from the revolutionary party for various transgressions had no business discussing party leadership. "When one is dismissed from Zanu-PF, they must not talk about our leaders. They should talk about their leaders that they've strayed to," said Mpofu.

He said the party leadership had the backing of the people. "Who are you to talk about our leaders? I went to war in 1967, I found VP Mphoko already in the Zipra high command and then you've people who came yesterday talking ill about the VP who went to the war in the early 1960s," said Mpofu in apparent reference to Mutsvangwa.

"How do you speak about a person who is a VP? He was big then and he's big now that's why he's a Vice President. Speak about now. "We're proud of our leaders, no one should speak badly about VP Mphoko especially individuals who only came yesterday. We're tired of listening to them."

Mpofu called on the party to ignore such characters saying responding to their rants was a waste of time. He reiterated that Matabeleland North province was not involved in factionalism as it does not benefit the party and the region in any way.

"When you talk about factionalism, you're saying here's a big bull but support that smaller one instead of the big one. In Zanu-PF our bull is President Mugabe who is our leader," said Mpofu.

He also took the opportunity to correct media reports that suggested that he said there is no Ndebele speaking person with presidential qualities. Instead, Mpofu said he meant that there was no candidate in the region who can match President Mugabe.

Mpofu, who was part of a team of senior Zanu-PF leadership that campaigned for Professor Jonathan Moyo in the Tsholotsho North by elections last June, paid tribute to voters for rallying behind the party leading to its emphatic history.

"I feel so proud of the people of Tsholotsho for what you did in June last year. We're here with the leadership to thank you for what you did and recording such a huge number," he said.

VP Mphoko, who addressed a star rally alongside his counterpart VP Emmerson Mnangagwa in the constituency ahead of the polls, also paid tribute to the voters for backing the party saying that the constituency had finally got itself good leadership in the form of Prof Jonathan Moyo.

Former member of the Zipra High Command, Retired Brigadier-General Abel Mazinyane told our sister paper Sunday News that VP Mphoko was consistent throughout the armed struggle and those questioning his credentials were too junior to understand the deployment of people of his rank.

Rtd Brig-Gen Mazinyane, the last Zipra chief of military intelligence whose other duties were to track and apprehend deserters said he does not recall VP Mphoko being listed as a deserter.

He said if VP Mphoko had abandoned the armed struggle in 1976 as suggested, there was no way he was going to display a Rhodesian helicopter which was shot down by Zipra forces in Zambia and shown to the United Nations delegates at a conference in Mozambique in 1978, attend the burial of Zipra commander Alfred Nikita Rogers Mangena in Lusaka also in 1978.