News / National
'Mnangagwa disrespecting Mugabe,' says Mphoko
04 Oct 2017 at 08:48hrs | Views
ACTING PRESIDENT Phelekezela Mphoko has taken his colleague Emmerson Mnangagwa head on accusing him of disrespecting President Robert Mugabe's authority and promoting tribal tensions for political expediency, New Zimbabwe.com reported.
This comes after Mnangagwa, addressing a gathering last Saturday at the memorial of the late Gutu senator Shuvai Mahofa, made a U-turn saying he was poisoned.
"I was not around when she passed on but what happened to her in 2015 in Victoria Falls also happened to me in Gwanda," Mnangagwa was quoted saying.
Mnangagwa's latest remarks contradict his earlier claims and those of Mugabe regarding the illness which resulted in him being airlifted to South Africa for treatment.
Citing the contradictions, Mphoko, in a statement released on Tuesday, concluded Mnangagwa is working towards augmenting his succession battle through politics of destabilization and the undermining of Mugabe.
"In view of the above, Mnangagwa's latest claim that he was poisoned in Gwanda cannot go unchallenged, not least because everyone can see that it is calculated - after thought - to challenge to president Mugabe's public account that Mnangagwa's medical doctor ruled out poisoning as the cause Mnangagwa's traumatizing vomiting and diarrhoea in Gwanda," said Mphoko.
He added, "It must be said that Mnangagwa's statement that he was poisoned, when his medical doctor has authoritatively said he was not, is disappointing.
"There is now little doubt, if there was ever any, that there appears to be an agenda to undermine the authority of President Mugabe and to destabilize the country by using lies to fan ethnic tensions for political purposes. This must stop and do so sooner rather than later."
This comes after Mnangagwa, addressing a gathering last Saturday at the memorial of the late Gutu senator Shuvai Mahofa, made a U-turn saying he was poisoned.
"I was not around when she passed on but what happened to her in 2015 in Victoria Falls also happened to me in Gwanda," Mnangagwa was quoted saying.
Mnangagwa's latest remarks contradict his earlier claims and those of Mugabe regarding the illness which resulted in him being airlifted to South Africa for treatment.
"In view of the above, Mnangagwa's latest claim that he was poisoned in Gwanda cannot go unchallenged, not least because everyone can see that it is calculated - after thought - to challenge to president Mugabe's public account that Mnangagwa's medical doctor ruled out poisoning as the cause Mnangagwa's traumatizing vomiting and diarrhoea in Gwanda," said Mphoko.
He added, "It must be said that Mnangagwa's statement that he was poisoned, when his medical doctor has authoritatively said he was not, is disappointing.
"There is now little doubt, if there was ever any, that there appears to be an agenda to undermine the authority of President Mugabe and to destabilize the country by using lies to fan ethnic tensions for political purposes. This must stop and do so sooner rather than later."
Source - newzimbabwe
