Sacked Tshinga Dube bares soul

Former War Veterans minister, Tshinga Dube, who was recently dropped from President Robert Mugabe's Cabinet, has once again sensationally claimed that there were characters in Zanu-PF that had been baying for his blood ever since he challenged the 93-year-old to name his successor.

He claimed that since his sacking, those people have been "celebrating".

"Some sections of the war veterans were not happy at all by that statement (Mugabe must name a successor) I made, hence had dismissed me a long time ago.

"They held demonstrations to say I must be removed, so not everybody appreciated my role. As I am speaking some are celebrating that I have been dismissed," he said.

Dube said he was, however, inspired by the fact that there were some in Zanu-PF who understood what he stood for.

"Well, I am grateful that others recognised my efforts during my time as War Veterans minister."

Asked if demonstrations against him by the Mandi Chimene-led faction of the war veterans' influenced his dismissal, Dube said he did not know whether Mugabe gets influenced by people like that.

"But you cannot rule out anything, when you don't know, you really don't know but all I know is that there were people who were baying for my blood and crying that I should be dismissed every day."

Despite all the mystery or theories surrounding his latest fate, the humble and soft spoken former freedom fighter said all was well with him.

"I am no longer a minister but life doesn't start and end with being a minister. I am already 76 and what matters is what I have done over these years."

Asked if the War Veterans ministry is in capable hands with the new minister, Cain Mathema, Dube said: "I know ...Mathema very well; we were together during the war. We were in the same department of communications; I think he is a very cool fellow.

"However, it's not easy to advise a grown up person, all I can do is conduct a handover takeover, to show him what problems we had and what I have left for him or what I think. But I cannot influence his thinking," he added.

Dube said he was now shifting his attention towards working for the party as well as people in his Constituency.

"I have been an MP for my area for three years and it is the people who have to judge what I have done compared to the 15 years that the MDC has held this seat."

Dube said contrary to what others may think, he was not bitter over Mugabe's decision to drop him from Cabinet and expressed gratitude for the short time he was afforded to work as a minister.

"In any case it's an experience in life. So I am not bitter at all, when you are appointed you must be prepared to be dismissed or disappointed, so I take it as something I never thought of, something that I cannot contest," he said.

The dismissal of Dube courted the ire of political analysts here in Bulawayo who described it as a loss to Matabeleland region given his hardworking nature.

Some also said Dube's sacking exposed how Mugabe prioritised power at all costs ahead of long-suffering Zimbabweans.

The former minister lost his job together with other ministers; Prisca Mupfumira, Farber Chidarikire and Abedinico Ncube in a Cabinet reshuffle analysts say is meant to consolidate Mugabe's power.