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Simba Makoni named in MDC-T power struggles
21 Feb 2014 at 06:22hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe has accused former Finance Minister Simba Makoni of plotting to oust Morgan Tsvangirai from the MDC-T leadership after realising his Mavambo political project had been a disaster.
Makoni made a surprise departure from Zanu-PF on the eve of nomination for the 2008 elections to contest the country's presidency under Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn and won just 8 per cent of the national vote.
Mugabe described his former finance minister as "Intelligent academically, but very foolish politically".
Speaking in a wide ranging interview with ZBC-TV broadcast on the eve of his 90th birthday on Thursday, Mugabe also denied enticing former Home Affairs Minister and now leader of the opposition Zapu, Dumiso Dabengwa back into Zanu-PF.
Mugabe repeated his now familiar criticism of Makoni saying the former Zanu-PF politburo member's exit from the party was "foolish" and ill-advised.
The veteran leader was condemning the current factionalism in his Zanu-PF party.
"Some wanted leadership change. Vanana Simba Makoni," said Mugabe, "Simba Makoni thought he was above everybody else and he did not need to have a party in order to win. Did the people admire him?
"He thought he could stand there and make the whole population of Zimbabwe as his party. They would vote for him to win then mushure imomo wozosarudza vanhu vaanoda vanenge vahwina kunemamwe maparty. That was his strategy. It doesn't work here.
"... So they rejected him, Simba Makoni. After his rejection, ah, in this last election, well mid-way he tried to form his Mavambo and his friends deserted him. But to go to elections this time he thought he was too naked in 2008 he must dress up and then Mavambo, it's not adequate dress.
"NaTsvangirai has problems nanaBiti uko. If l go to Tsvangirai and say let's go together, Tsvangirai will agree in the hope that should he win there he could then, in due course, take over from Tsvangirai.
"Kuhwandira munhu uku aneparty yake zvake. That did not work too; poor Makoni. Intelligent academically, but very foolish politically."
Makoni made a surprise departure from Zanu-PF on the eve of nomination for the 2008 elections to contest the country's presidency under Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn and won just 8 per cent of the national vote.
Mugabe described his former finance minister as "Intelligent academically, but very foolish politically".
Speaking in a wide ranging interview with ZBC-TV broadcast on the eve of his 90th birthday on Thursday, Mugabe also denied enticing former Home Affairs Minister and now leader of the opposition Zapu, Dumiso Dabengwa back into Zanu-PF.
Mugabe repeated his now familiar criticism of Makoni saying the former Zanu-PF politburo member's exit from the party was "foolish" and ill-advised.
The veteran leader was condemning the current factionalism in his Zanu-PF party.
"Some wanted leadership change. Vanana Simba Makoni," said Mugabe, "Simba Makoni thought he was above everybody else and he did not need to have a party in order to win. Did the people admire him?
"He thought he could stand there and make the whole population of Zimbabwe as his party. They would vote for him to win then mushure imomo wozosarudza vanhu vaanoda vanenge vahwina kunemamwe maparty. That was his strategy. It doesn't work here.
"... So they rejected him, Simba Makoni. After his rejection, ah, in this last election, well mid-way he tried to form his Mavambo and his friends deserted him. But to go to elections this time he thought he was too naked in 2008 he must dress up and then Mavambo, it's not adequate dress.
"NaTsvangirai has problems nanaBiti uko. If l go to Tsvangirai and say let's go together, Tsvangirai will agree in the hope that should he win there he could then, in due course, take over from Tsvangirai.
"Kuhwandira munhu uku aneparty yake zvake. That did not work too; poor Makoni. Intelligent academically, but very foolish politically."
Source - newzim
