Mnangagwa didn't come to power via a coup, says Khaya Moyo

ZANU-PF is not taking lightly the threat posed by its former leader, Robert Mugabe, who has refused to retire quietly following his forced resignation last November.

Mugabe has been taking pot-shots at President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government, saying its rise to power was through a "coup".

He has since taken his message to the African Union (AU) and the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).

But seeing that there is inaction from both the AU and Sadc, he has lately been using his private residence in Borrowdale, Harare to agitate resistance against Zanu PF at the polls.

In a statement issued yesterday, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo said the ruling party has noted with grave concern attempts by certain elements of the society, including some political parties and the media, to impugn the legitimacy of the presidency of Mnangagwa on the "false premise" that his ascendancy to the highest office was a consequence of a military coup.

"The party is also aware of some related utterances associated with the former provincial affairs minister Ambrose Mutinhiri's resignation from the party. It is abundantly clear that the notion is grossly misplaced and is a mere cheap profiling by individuals with the agenda to secure political relevance," said Khaya-Moyo.

Asked if Zanu PF was worried by the new political outfit's association with Mugabe, he said "I have no evidence to that effect, I have not spoken to him and I don't want to think for him because he is a seasoned politician".

Khaya-Moyo said one of the reasons why Mutinhiri could have decided to lead the new party was that he lost his ministerial post when Mnangagwa came to power.