Mugabe reveals Zanu-PF plans to depose him

President Robert Mugabe has revealed that his colleagues in Zanu PF had in 2008 hatched a plan to depose him, resulting in the veteran leader losing the first round of presidential elections to MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

In an interview with national broadcaster, ZBC, screened on the eve of his 90th birthday on Thursday, Mugabe said his lieutenants campaigned for themselves in the harmonised elections and left him to fight in his own corner.

This is the first time the president has opened up on what happened during the elections in March 2008 which saw Tsvangirai winning 47% of the votes against Mugabe's 41%. Tsvangirai fell short of the constitutionally required 50% plus one vote to assume the presidency. A presidential run-off saw Mugabe winning overwhelmingly.

"I know all my people and all those who have been close to me very well. I know them all very, very well. What they tell me and what they have hidden from me ndinozviziva," Mugabe said in the interview.  "I know how honest or dishonest some of them are, you had in 2008, the reason why we were beaten is not just because some of the votes went with vana Dumiso (Dabangwa) nana Simba Makoni, yes they had a dent on our support, but some of the (Zanu PF) leaders actually were telling people…that you don't have to vote for the president, because vakawinner kare, (he has already won) … so the people would not mind and indeed quite a number of the people would not mind voting for the president, but they minded to vote for the members of parliament."

During the elections, most Zanu PF MPs campaigned for themselves under Operation Bhora Musango which led to Mugabe losing to Tsvangirai.

"They had agreed to say let us win in parliament and then form a government with the MDC as junior partners, when I told them that it was impossible, that is when they said huh, vakasvinuka, and now in 2013, it was a different election," he said.

Mugabe said he was finding it difficult to unite warring factions within his party who were battling against each other to position themselves for a takeover when the veteran politician retires.

He told factional leaders to desist from dividing the party.

"It's terrible, even to have your name mentioned as leader of a faction, it's shameful, you must go beyond that and say you belong to the people as a whole, you are a member of the party and all the other members become, if you are going to be a leader, your people who will look up to you for the necessary helpful benefits," Mugabe said.

Two distinctive factions have emerged in Zanu PF positioning themselves to take over from Mugabe, although the alleged leaders have denied leading camps in the ruling party.

Vice president Joice Mujuru and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa are reportedly angling to succeed Mugabe.

Mugabe said the debate on who should take over from him should not arise now.

"But why should it be discussed when it is not due? Is it due? When the leadership still exits that run the country, in other words I am still there, the people can discuss it if they want, but the moment they start doing so they go into factions," he said

Mugabe vowed that he would not step down when the party is divided.

"We don't want selfish people and you don't want to come into leadership because you want to serve your own personal interest, you come into leadership because your people want you to lead them and serve their interests," he said, adding that "this is it and that's why some of us never campaigned for that leadership of any position at all, we left it to the party to decide".