News / National
Grace Mugabe pictures on Zupco buses raise stink
10 Sep 2014 at 07:20hrs | Views
THE MDC led by Welshman Ncube yesterday attacked the State-owned Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) for involving itself in Zanu-PF's succession politics by sticking large posters of First Lady Grace Mugabe on most of its buses.
A number of Zupco buses carry large posters of Grace written "in solidarity with amai" while others have posters of her husband President Robert Mugabe.
Grace was recently nominated as the Zanu-PF women's league's new boss as well as into the party's central committee, paving way for her husband to appoint her into the powerful politburo at the elective congress in December.
A position in the politburo may ensure that Grace has a say in her husband's successor.
MDC Matabeleland South provincial chairperson Pilate Ndebele yesterday said it was sad that Zanu-PF had gone to the extent of personalising State property by reducing Zupco into party property.
"The campaigning for Grace through Zupco buses is a violation, abuse and undermining of State property," he said.
"Zupco is a parastatal whose funding is from tax payers' money. It is unfair for Zanu-PF and the government to personalise State property and use it as a campaign tool for an individual. It is just like having pictures of political party leaders who have nothing to do with the government displayed at court buildings and other government departments."
Ndebele said the First Lady was not part of the government and the display of her photographs on State-owned buses prompts people to think that the buses belong to Zanu-PF when they do not.
"The only people who deserve to have their pictures displayed on public property are the likes of the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, Lookout Masuku and all those national heroes who contributed immensely to the liberation of Zimbabwe," he said.
"Grace is doing a lot of good things for people, but that does not mean that State property must be abused to campaign for her entry into politics."
He called for the immediate removal of the Zanu-PF logo and Grace's posters from all Zupco buses saying they were not owned by the First Family.
A number of Zupco buses carry large posters of Grace written "in solidarity with amai" while others have posters of her husband President Robert Mugabe.
Grace was recently nominated as the Zanu-PF women's league's new boss as well as into the party's central committee, paving way for her husband to appoint her into the powerful politburo at the elective congress in December.
A position in the politburo may ensure that Grace has a say in her husband's successor.
MDC Matabeleland South provincial chairperson Pilate Ndebele yesterday said it was sad that Zanu-PF had gone to the extent of personalising State property by reducing Zupco into party property.
"Zupco is a parastatal whose funding is from tax payers' money. It is unfair for Zanu-PF and the government to personalise State property and use it as a campaign tool for an individual. It is just like having pictures of political party leaders who have nothing to do with the government displayed at court buildings and other government departments."
Ndebele said the First Lady was not part of the government and the display of her photographs on State-owned buses prompts people to think that the buses belong to Zanu-PF when they do not.
"The only people who deserve to have their pictures displayed on public property are the likes of the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, Lookout Masuku and all those national heroes who contributed immensely to the liberation of Zimbabwe," he said.
"Grace is doing a lot of good things for people, but that does not mean that State property must be abused to campaign for her entry into politics."
He called for the immediate removal of the Zanu-PF logo and Grace's posters from all Zupco buses saying they were not owned by the First Family.
Source - Southern Eye
