News / National
Mugabe, Grace lashed for not addressing Matabeleland issues
07 Nov 2017 at 07:31hrs | Views
OPPOSITION parties and civic society groups in Matabeleland have rapped President Robert Mugabe and his wife, First Lady Grace, for turning a supposed Zanu-PF youth interface rally in Bulawayo on Saturday into a mudslinging match against Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The parties said the First Family shortchanged Matabeleland residents by failing to address their concerns, which range from marginalisation, high unemployment levels and de-industrialisation.
Mugabe and Grace on Saturday addressed the youth interface rally at the White City Stadium in Bulawayo, where they took turns to attack Mnangagwa, accusing him of fuelling factionalism and plotting to dislodge the President.
MDC-T Bulawayo spokesperson Felix Magalela Sibanda said they were left wondering over the purpose of the gathering.
"It would appear from the observation that the rally was never for the youths, but to settle political scores between and among factions in Zanu-PF and to de-campaign ED before the party's December congress," he said.
"Nothing at all was centred on youth's aspirations or empowerment thereof. From start, the mood was dull and lacking excitement, whereby the master of ceremony was speaking unfamiliar language to his audience, as if he had forgotten that Bulawayo is in Matabeleland for goodness sake."
Ibhetshu likaZulu secretary-general Mbuso Fuzwayo concurred, saying: "Instead of talking about their daily challenges and the way forward, they started attacking each other, dwelling much on positions such as the one for female Vice-President.
"Mugabe was supposed to talk about how he intended to curb the problem of unemployment, which is seriously affecting youths in Bulawayo and across the country. We expected him to be biased towards youth issues, as the rally was dubbed youth interface. What Mugabe and Grace did was unAfrican. It's unAfrican for elderly people to attack each other in public and they must be ashamed."
MDC deputy spokesperson Mbuso Siso said the Saturday incident had proved that Mugabe was only concerned with retaining power and not committed to addressing issues affecting the ordinary people.
Zapu deputy spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa said Mugabe and his wife's behaviour was a blatant display of both confusion and arrogance by the "dictator" family.
"Instead of addressing issues affecting Bulawayo youth, they come to Bulawayo with loads of dirty linen to wash. The so-called youth interface was turned into an internal score-settling contest. Mugabe and his wife proved why they failed to raise honourable children in their wayward two sons. They do not know the time and place for everything in life," he said.
The parties said the First Family shortchanged Matabeleland residents by failing to address their concerns, which range from marginalisation, high unemployment levels and de-industrialisation.
Mugabe and Grace on Saturday addressed the youth interface rally at the White City Stadium in Bulawayo, where they took turns to attack Mnangagwa, accusing him of fuelling factionalism and plotting to dislodge the President.
MDC-T Bulawayo spokesperson Felix Magalela Sibanda said they were left wondering over the purpose of the gathering.
"It would appear from the observation that the rally was never for the youths, but to settle political scores between and among factions in Zanu-PF and to de-campaign ED before the party's December congress," he said.
Ibhetshu likaZulu secretary-general Mbuso Fuzwayo concurred, saying: "Instead of talking about their daily challenges and the way forward, they started attacking each other, dwelling much on positions such as the one for female Vice-President.
"Mugabe was supposed to talk about how he intended to curb the problem of unemployment, which is seriously affecting youths in Bulawayo and across the country. We expected him to be biased towards youth issues, as the rally was dubbed youth interface. What Mugabe and Grace did was unAfrican. It's unAfrican for elderly people to attack each other in public and they must be ashamed."
MDC deputy spokesperson Mbuso Siso said the Saturday incident had proved that Mugabe was only concerned with retaining power and not committed to addressing issues affecting the ordinary people.
Zapu deputy spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa said Mugabe and his wife's behaviour was a blatant display of both confusion and arrogance by the "dictator" family.
"Instead of addressing issues affecting Bulawayo youth, they come to Bulawayo with loads of dirty linen to wash. The so-called youth interface was turned into an internal score-settling contest. Mugabe and his wife proved why they failed to raise honourable children in their wayward two sons. They do not know the time and place for everything in life," he said.
Source - newsday
