'Million men demonstration not against Mnangagwa'

Zanu-PF claims that next month's "million men" march being organised by its youth league is meant to show solidarity with President Robert Mugabe even though organisers have said it was targeted at Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The youths intend to stage a demonstration in the capital, Harare, in May which Mnangagwa's allies fear was targeted at the Midlands godfather.

This comes as Mnangagwa is under the cosh from Zanu-PF's ambitious young Turks who accuse him of seeking to stampede the 92-year-old leader out of power.

But Simon Khaya Moyo yesterday said while the party backed the controversial march, it was not meant to embarrass any of the party's leadership.

"To say the march is an ‘anti-VP' demonstration is not only misleading but also thoroughly mischievous," Khaya Moyo said.

"From the Zanu-PF point of view, the youth demonstration is not against any leader of the party but in solidarity with the president for his excellent leadership qualities that he has exhibited over the years and we certainly support such a noble cause.

"Any other insinuations must therefore be dismissed with the contempt that they deserve because Zanu-PF is for unity and our motto is unity, freedom and peace and we live by that."

The Zanu-PF information chief     spoke as the party's youth league reported that war veterans and some party bigwigs aligned to the embattled vice president were attempting to sabotage the march.

Manicaland Zanu-PF deputy secretary for information and publicity, Passionate Dandajena, revealed in an interview with the Daily News last Friday that Team Lacoste ex-combatants were working hard to derail the march.

"Our efforts to fundraise for the march are being frustrated by a group of war veterans led by Comrade (war veterans' leader Christopher) Mutsvangwa.

"But we will not be derailed and will achieve our mission in spite of their opposition…," Dandajena said.