Baba Jukwa saga sop up Mutsvangwa

HARARE - A new youth lobby group within Zanu-PF calling itself Vana VaChaminuka, has threatened to expose the newly imposed outspoken war veterans leader, Norton MP (Zanu-PF) and Foreign Affairs deputy minister Christopher Mutsvangwa for his involvement in the Baba Jukwa saga.

The group fingers Mutsvangwa as the major culprit who communicated sensitive secretive politburo information to embattled and suspended Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi who is current out on bail on charges of subversion and undermining the authority of President Robert Mugabe through the Baba Jukwa Facebook account together with his brother Philip.

"We will be soon approaching police with evidence and information exposing the role played by the hypocrite Mutsvangwa in the Baba Jukwa project," said group leader, Joshua Mhangami.

"Mutsvangwa thought he is clever but we have managed to gather evidence that he is the person who sits in the politburo who has been leaking information to the faceless Baba Jukwa character. We now know the places where he always met Kudzayi sharing information with him. We will also lead the police to collect security footages of those restaurants where they normal hang out. We have a convincing evidence against him and we want the law to take its course. Being a war veteran does not mean he should go unpunished for his role on the Baba Jukwa saga."

Mhangami also highlighted that there is a list of youths who worked with Mutsvangwa and Kudzayi in the project.

"We have managed to convince some young people who are prepared to be state witnesses in the case if they are protected. These youths gave us incriminating evidence against Mutsvangwa as audio recordings and e-mail exchanges where they discussed developments of the project. We have four youths who are prepared to be state witnesses," he added.

So far three high ranking Zanu-PF officials Information minister Jonathan Moyo, Environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere and suspended party spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo have been questioned by police over the Baba Jukwa saga.

The group which claims to be under the patron and mentor-ship of Director of State House Dr. Dzepasi Innocent Tizora also calls on the Zanu-PF leadership to pass baton to the party's Young Turks, among them Information minister Jonathan Moyo, Tourism minister Walter Mzembi, Environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere and politburo member and Mugabe's nephew Patrick Zhuwao.

They also agitated for the consideration of senate president Edna Madzongwe ahead of out-going Zanu-PF boss Oppah Muchinguri for the appointment of the position of Vice President.

Last week the group called on President Robert Mugabe to urgently intervene in the ongoing internal party fights and clip Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa's wings, claiming he had become a "de facto Prime Minister".

The group claimed Mnangagwa now posed a serious threat to Mugabe as he had successfully "sneaked into the First Family's tent" from where he launched a campaign to purge all officials linked to his rival Vice-President Joice Mujuru's camp.

Mnangagwa and Mujuru are leading two rival factions fighting to succeed Mugabe. Recently the group also expressed anger at Kasukuwere who is said to be leading a campaign against Mnangagwa.

The campaign dubbed "Vote Cde Mngangagwa for President 2014 Zanu Congress" is aimed at side-lining Mnangagwa from the succession race. The group, which claimed to represent party youths, said they had drafted a petition which they would present to Mugabe soon, urging the veteran politician to be wary of Mnangagwa's alleged underhand machinations to usurp power.

The group said it was fully behind First Lady Grace Mugabe and wanted her succeed her husband.

Efforts to authenticate the claims raised by the group were fruitless as Mutsvangwa and acting Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo could not be reached for comment.