'Let the public judge Mujuru,' says Msipa

Zimbabweans should be allowed to judge Vice-President Mujuru on the sensational claims that she is at the centre of an elaborate and sinister plot to "take out" President Robert Mugabe, veteran nationalist and former Zapu secretary-general Cephas Msipa has said.

Yesterday,  Msipa said he was now more optimistic that Zanu-PF will find a solution to the pear-shaped succession issue after a meeting with President Mugabe.

"She has stated her case and it is not my position to judge her. It is for the public to do so having looked at the information available it is a drama that is unfolding and we will be watching how it ends," Msipa added.

Mujuru has been accused of being at the centre of a sinister plot, bordering on treason in which suspended Zanu-PF information chief Rugare Gumbo and  secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa were said to have hatched a plan to unconstitutionally remove the president.

Mujuru, in a statement Monday, denied all the charges including accusations of corruption, ineptitude and underhand dealing leveled against her by the First Lady.

In the statement published by the private media, Mujuru vowed to defend her name and credibility in the courts and declared that she would not be forced to leave office unconstitutionally. This, despite a growing chorus within the ruling party fronted by President Mugabe's wife for Mujuru to "step down now or risk being baby-dumped at congress".

Zanu-PF elderly statesman and former Midlands governor said he had received President Mugabe's assurance that the current "drama" bedeviling the former liberation movement would be resolved.

Msipa has previously warned of an impending split within the party.

"Yes, I have met the president and told him my views, we met as friends, as contemporaries and our meeting, as always, was cordial, but I cannot be seen to be going public with the discussions I had with President Mugabe," said Msipa.

Believed to be backing Mujuru to take over from President Mugabe, Msipa has openly opposed the mudslinging currently going on in the ruling party.

Last month Msipa warned that the former guerrilla movement might split if the internecine fights over succession ahead of an elective congress set for December were not checked. However, he was immediately attacked by hawks in the ruling party who argued that Msipa was out of touch with reality. The former Midlands governor also came under fire from veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle after he was quoted as imploring President Mugabe to keep the former fighters on a leash.

During a media watch programme on state television on Monday, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association secretary general Victor Matemadanda lashed out at Msipa, casting aspersions on the veteran politician's war credentials.

"Msipa has no right to shut us up. In fact that is what we have said no to. We would have loved to see him use that kind of energy in fighting the colonial regime, but he never crossed the country's borders. Who is he, it is this kind of talk that has forced us to declare that we are no longer a welfare organisation. We will have a say on who governs this country because this is our project and we are reclaiming it," said Matemadanda.

Msipa said he was not going to be dragged into a debate and bog "myself down to their level".

"I will not dignify that with an answer (laughing). I do not know whether I should respond or not. They should leave me alone, I do not want to sink to their level," the former Zapu secretary-general said.

He added that following his meeting with President Mugabe, he was now "more confident" that the ruling party would be able to find a solution to the succession problems.

"However, after meeting with the president I am more optimistic than ever that we will get over these problems and concentrate on social delivery for the benefit of our people. I am an optimist by nature," Msipa said.