'Mnangagwa persecuted for supporting Mugabe'

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emerson Mnangagwa is accused of leading a faction by his opponents in Zanu-PF because of his resolute defence of President Mugabe and the liberation ethos, a party legislator has said.

Gokwe-Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena said Mnangagwa was being persecuted by VP Mujuru's team for standing strong in defending President Mugabe and the party's founding values.

He made the remarks while giving feedback to his constituents at Tsungai business centre at the weekend on President Mugabe's address to war veterans, women and youths who gathered at the Zanu-PF headquarters on Thursday demanding that VP Mujuru be booted out for several transgressions.

VP Mujuru's alleged crimes include corruption and seeking to topple the party's First Secretary from his post just over a year after his landslide victory over MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai at the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections.

Wadyajena said everyone who was against corruption and defending President Mugabe and First Lady Cde Grace Mugabe was being labelled as belonging to Mnangagwa's faction when nothing of that sort existed.

The First Lady, during her recent "Meet the People" tour revealed that VP Mujuru leads a faction that was planning to depose President Mugabe from his post at the December congress.

"Now in Zanu-PF whenever you express your allegiance to President Mugabe, you hear people saying ‘no you don't belong to President Mugabe, but Cde Mnangagwa," Wadyajena was quoted as saying in the State Press today.

"You hear people even saying ‘you are lying that you belong to Dr Mugabe (First Lady), you belong to Mnangagwa.'

"Should we be afraid to walk with our President? Should we be afraid to walk with Dr Mugabe? (For fear of being labelled Mnangagwa's followers). That will not happen."

Wadyajena said Tsvangirai at his party's congress last week confirmed that they were working with some people in Zanu-PF to unseat President Mugabe.

He said that confirmed what the First Lady said when she alleged that MDC was formed in VP Mujuru's house.

VP Mujuru's camp, he said, wanted to portray themselves as moderates who would have no problems doing business with white people.

Wadyajena said everyone who wanted to overthrow President Mugabe would be axed as has happened to Mashonaland West and Masvingo chairpersons Themba Mliswa and Callisto Gwanetsa respectively, as well as war veterans' leader Jabulani Sibanda.