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Tsvangirai, Mugabe in war of words
27 Feb 2014 at 11:32hrs | Views
A war of words between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai escalated yesterday, sparking fears of rising tensions as the opposition dusts up poll-rigging and violence allegations against the 50-year-old ruling party.
The main opposition leader reacted angrily to Mugabe's call on thousands of his Zanu PF supporters to desist from using violence in order to settle political scores.
The veteran Zanu PF leader said his party's youths should not attack leaders as happened in the MDC.
Appearing live on State TV at his 90th birthday party in Marondera last Sunday, a vintage Mugabe dismissed prospects of the MDC forming a government, describing his former government allies as "enemies" who are facing extinction.
Tsvangirai yesterday reiterated that Mugabe must stop touting himself as a saint.
This follows the alleged assault on MDC deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma recently.
The former prime minister, who shared power with Mugabe for five years until the expiry of a shaky FROM P1
coalition last July, said the 90-year-old has repeatedly stolen elections since 2000.
Tsvangirai is respected internationally for his shepherding of the economy during the GNU era and for stabilising a once chaotic country. Tsvangirai said Mugabe was synonymous with domestic repression.
In Marondera, Mugabe told his supporters that youths should respect their leaders and not copy events in the MDC.
"You have read about violence at the headquarters of (Morgan) Tsvangirai's party," Mugabe told thousands of his supporters outside Rudhaka Stadium.
"Mayouths achirova maleaders avo (when youths beat their leaders.) Fungai, (just think of that). Our youths and their leaders stand in the same analogous manner as children and parents.
"You do not raise your hand to hit your senior. Never, ever. You may quarrel but the best you can do is to go and complain about your senior if your senior is wronging."
But Tsvangirai, through his press secretary Luke Tamborinyoka, hit back saying Mugabe had installed the architecture of violence in Zimbabwe.
"Mugabe cannot masquerade as a saint. The Zanu PF government killed people during the Gukurahundi era in the 1980s."
"Gukurahundi" is the Shona name which the Mugabe regime used to describe the massacres in Matabeleland and the Midlands in Zimbabwe between 1982 and 1987.
"It means the early rain which washes away the chaff before the spring rains.
"It describes the onslaught by the 5th Brigade, a North Korean-trained military unit, against a civilian population in which at least 20 000 people lost their lives and thousands more were subjected to unspeakable acts of violence, according to the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe, in power since 1980, has never officially apologised for the Gukurahundi atrocities, tepidly describing the atrocities as "a moment of madness".
"In 2008 Zanu PF killed MDC supporters," added Tamborinyoka.
"It is unfortunate that he is now trying to use the unfortunate incident that took place at Harvest House to lie to the people."
Mugabe's Zanu PF is accused of masterminding some of the 2008 post-election unrest that left at least 200 dead and more than 200 000 homeless, according to rights groups.
Tamborinyoka said Zanu PF should take responsibility for its past actions.
"History is well-known, people in Zanu PF are the worst perpetrators of violence and we are all aware of that," said Tamborinyoka.
While Tsvangirai insists that his hands are clean, Mugabe seems to believe Mangoma's account of events, that he was attacked at the instigation of his president.
Recently, Mangoma told the Daily News that he reported the assault to the police after internal processes failed and after Tsvangirai's spin-doctor Tamborinyoka allegedly distorted the sequence of events.
MDC spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, said Mugabe might be surprised by the outcome of the investigations.
"We are surprised when Mugabe, who was leader of Zanu PF during its most murderous moments talks as if his party is clean," Mwonzora said.
"The MDC has now appointed a committee to fully investigate what happened at Harvest House with a view to establishing the truth. Once this has been established, it will be made public.
"It will be wrong for people to be presumptuous about this matter because the truth may turn out to be truly shocking."
The main opposition leader reacted angrily to Mugabe's call on thousands of his Zanu PF supporters to desist from using violence in order to settle political scores.
The veteran Zanu PF leader said his party's youths should not attack leaders as happened in the MDC.
Appearing live on State TV at his 90th birthday party in Marondera last Sunday, a vintage Mugabe dismissed prospects of the MDC forming a government, describing his former government allies as "enemies" who are facing extinction.
Tsvangirai yesterday reiterated that Mugabe must stop touting himself as a saint.
This follows the alleged assault on MDC deputy treasurer-general Elton Mangoma recently.
The former prime minister, who shared power with Mugabe for five years until the expiry of a shaky FROM P1
coalition last July, said the 90-year-old has repeatedly stolen elections since 2000.
Tsvangirai is respected internationally for his shepherding of the economy during the GNU era and for stabilising a once chaotic country. Tsvangirai said Mugabe was synonymous with domestic repression.
In Marondera, Mugabe told his supporters that youths should respect their leaders and not copy events in the MDC.
"You have read about violence at the headquarters of (Morgan) Tsvangirai's party," Mugabe told thousands of his supporters outside Rudhaka Stadium.
"Mayouths achirova maleaders avo (when youths beat their leaders.) Fungai, (just think of that). Our youths and their leaders stand in the same analogous manner as children and parents.
"You do not raise your hand to hit your senior. Never, ever. You may quarrel but the best you can do is to go and complain about your senior if your senior is wronging."
But Tsvangirai, through his press secretary Luke Tamborinyoka, hit back saying Mugabe had installed the architecture of violence in Zimbabwe.
"Mugabe cannot masquerade as a saint. The Zanu PF government killed people during the Gukurahundi era in the 1980s."
"It means the early rain which washes away the chaff before the spring rains.
"It describes the onslaught by the 5th Brigade, a North Korean-trained military unit, against a civilian population in which at least 20 000 people lost their lives and thousands more were subjected to unspeakable acts of violence, according to the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF) in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe, in power since 1980, has never officially apologised for the Gukurahundi atrocities, tepidly describing the atrocities as "a moment of madness".
"In 2008 Zanu PF killed MDC supporters," added Tamborinyoka.
"It is unfortunate that he is now trying to use the unfortunate incident that took place at Harvest House to lie to the people."
Mugabe's Zanu PF is accused of masterminding some of the 2008 post-election unrest that left at least 200 dead and more than 200 000 homeless, according to rights groups.
Tamborinyoka said Zanu PF should take responsibility for its past actions.
"History is well-known, people in Zanu PF are the worst perpetrators of violence and we are all aware of that," said Tamborinyoka.
While Tsvangirai insists that his hands are clean, Mugabe seems to believe Mangoma's account of events, that he was attacked at the instigation of his president.
Recently, Mangoma told the Daily News that he reported the assault to the police after internal processes failed and after Tsvangirai's spin-doctor Tamborinyoka allegedly distorted the sequence of events.
MDC spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, said Mugabe might be surprised by the outcome of the investigations.
"We are surprised when Mugabe, who was leader of Zanu PF during its most murderous moments talks as if his party is clean," Mwonzora said.
"The MDC has now appointed a committee to fully investigate what happened at Harvest House with a view to establishing the truth. Once this has been established, it will be made public.
"It will be wrong for people to be presumptuous about this matter because the truth may turn out to be truly shocking."
Source - dailynews
