News / National
'I'm not afraid of Mugabe'
02 Mar 2015 at 14:21hrs | Views
Former Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo has said he does not care and is not afraid of President Robert Mugabe's government keeping him under surveillance.
During a televised interview to mark his 91st birthday anniversary, Mugabe said he was watching Gumbo and his intentions.
"He (Gumbo) is an incorrigible person…but we continue to watch what he is doing and what his intentions are," Mugabe said during the interview.
However, the war veteran said he was not afraid of that.
"They have been watching me all along. I have been watched all my life, so why should I be afraid?" Gumbo said, further claiming that even during the liberation struggle the Ian Smith-led government watched him.
Ahead of the party's congress last year, Zanu-PF went on an unprecedented orgy of violent purges of all its senior officials perceived to be sympathetic to former Vice President Joice Mujuru, which also scalped the head of Gumbo.
The brutal purges left Zanu-PF seriously divided, which analysts described as one of the party's weakest points in its 52 years of existence.
But Gumbo has fearlessly spoken against the decision, claiming it was highly influenced by mafikizolos (Johnny-come-latelies).
He said that mafikizolos had hijacked the party and were influencing Mugabe's ill-fated decisions.
The outspoken former Dare reChimurenga member said he has been advocating freedom all his life.
In response to Mugabe's averments on him being watched, Gumbo said freedom was all that he fought for and was the prime reason he went to war.
Speaking to the Daily News, Gumbo said he was no push-over but a man who stuck to his principles.
"I have certain basic principles in life. I have not talked about anything else but freedom. I do not see anything, we want freedom, freedom, freedom. We want to be free and happy…that is what we fought for," Gumbo said.
He queried, "Muri kuda kuti ndiite sei (what do you want me to do)?"
This was in apparent reference to the fact that he continues to fight for that freedom and does not know what the Mugabe government wants him to do.
During a televised interview to mark his 91st birthday anniversary, Mugabe said he was watching Gumbo and his intentions.
"He (Gumbo) is an incorrigible person…but we continue to watch what he is doing and what his intentions are," Mugabe said during the interview.
However, the war veteran said he was not afraid of that.
"They have been watching me all along. I have been watched all my life, so why should I be afraid?" Gumbo said, further claiming that even during the liberation struggle the Ian Smith-led government watched him.
Ahead of the party's congress last year, Zanu-PF went on an unprecedented orgy of violent purges of all its senior officials perceived to be sympathetic to former Vice President Joice Mujuru, which also scalped the head of Gumbo.
The brutal purges left Zanu-PF seriously divided, which analysts described as one of the party's weakest points in its 52 years of existence.
But Gumbo has fearlessly spoken against the decision, claiming it was highly influenced by mafikizolos (Johnny-come-latelies).
He said that mafikizolos had hijacked the party and were influencing Mugabe's ill-fated decisions.
The outspoken former Dare reChimurenga member said he has been advocating freedom all his life.
In response to Mugabe's averments on him being watched, Gumbo said freedom was all that he fought for and was the prime reason he went to war.
Speaking to the Daily News, Gumbo said he was no push-over but a man who stuck to his principles.
"I have certain basic principles in life. I have not talked about anything else but freedom. I do not see anything, we want freedom, freedom, freedom. We want to be free and happy…that is what we fought for," Gumbo said.
He queried, "Muri kuda kuti ndiite sei (what do you want me to do)?"
This was in apparent reference to the fact that he continues to fight for that freedom and does not know what the Mugabe government wants him to do.
Source - dailynews
