News / National
'Mnangagwa is mischievous' - Chimene
31 Jul 2016 at 09:23hrs | Views
Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene insists that Vice President Emmerson Mnangaghwa is plotting to oust President Robert Mugabe.
On Wednesday last week, Chimene told Mugabe that his deputy is leading a faction, Team Lacoste which is angling to topple him.
On Saturday, Mnangagwa distanced himself from Team Lactoste pledging unwavering allegiance to Mugabe.
However, according to the Standard, Chimene is adamant that Mnangagwa is brewing mischief.
Below is part of an interview with Chimene ;
The Standard: The VP has said your allegations are unfounded and that he is not worried about what you are saying. He likened you to a dog that is barking in the wilderness.
Chimene: Hold on there, you mean he is now able to speak out and he has responded to what we are saying? So you mean the VP now can talk on these issues? Well, you said he said we are barking, fair and fine, it's good that he now can respond.
But this is unfortunate, he has only found his voice now because we expected him to respond when these things started.
He should have told people like Matemadanda [Victor], Mahiya [Douglas] and those youths who have been doing this thing in his name that they are barking like dogs. Surely, he can't tell us that just because we have asked him to come out clean.
He allowed his name to be used and abused, I assume, going by what he said, and today he tells us we are barking. we will bark in support of our president, not rebels.
When people were declaring him to be the next leader, he did not say they were barking, he remained quiet, now today, he is telling us we are barking, let him think so.
The Standard : What do you say to allegations that you were sent by First Lady Grace Mugabe and G40 to further their agenda against Mnangagwa?
Chimene : I don't know anything called G40. that is a creation of people in Lacoste, those who have been supporting the VP and that is why we are saying no to being divided as Zanu PF.
I am not a member of any faction and will not be. I respect the interests of my president and party leader Cde RG Mugabe.
We have no agenda at all. For your own information, what I said there represents the views and cries of many genuine war veterans and Zanu PF activists who feel those successionists who are dividing us must leave us united as we came from the bush.
The Standard : Why did you have to wait for that rally to tell Mugabe that some ministers no longer respected him and that Mnangagwa is the leader of the Lacoste faction?
Chimene: That was a platform presented to us as war veterans to present our grievances to the party.
We have been waiting for the VP to speak out and state his position on the matter, but we realised he was being quiet while the party was being divided.
All we are saying is, if the VP wants to topple the president, let him come out today and we go to congress so that we see what will become of him. We don't support illegal means of taking over.
The Standard: But why not use other ways to raise such issues rather than resorting to a rally to tell the president that his deputy is plotting to topple him?
Chimene: We have been quiet for too long and I think it's time we call a spade a spade. We should learn to tell each other the truth and build each other as we go. What they have been doing is disgusting; they have been doing it publicly, killing the party publicly, and should we just watch that happening like that? No.
The Standard : Do you have any evidence that Mnangagwa leads the so-called Lacoste faction as you alleged?
Chimene: When you want it, we will present it to you. But surely, are you serious in your question? Did you not read and hear [war veterans leader Christopher] Mutsvangwa and his cabal saying they want VP Mnangagwa to take over?
Have you not seen the same people and some more, especially the youths, who have publicly said they are team Lacoste? If you have not seen that, then there is a problem with your eyes.
The Standard : You were referred to as the acting chairperson for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association. Were your actions not in violation of a court order that said you must not masquerade as leader of the association?
Chimene: Was the court there when we went to war? I was not invited to the liberation struggle by a court. In any case, I am just a caretaker leader. I will not be there forever.
I am not chairperson material. I enjoy being led by those who have the experience and value of the liberation struggle. I went to war in 1976 and it would be impossible for me to lead those who went to war in 1972. What value will I be bringing to them?
They have the war experience, understand the war better than me and have endured more than me. So those who think that Mandi wants to take over forever should think twice. Please tell them clearly, I am only a care taker leader, they must not worry about me too much
On Wednesday last week, Chimene told Mugabe that his deputy is leading a faction, Team Lacoste which is angling to topple him.
On Saturday, Mnangagwa distanced himself from Team Lactoste pledging unwavering allegiance to Mugabe.
However, according to the Standard, Chimene is adamant that Mnangagwa is brewing mischief.
Below is part of an interview with Chimene ;
The Standard: The VP has said your allegations are unfounded and that he is not worried about what you are saying. He likened you to a dog that is barking in the wilderness.
Chimene: Hold on there, you mean he is now able to speak out and he has responded to what we are saying? So you mean the VP now can talk on these issues? Well, you said he said we are barking, fair and fine, it's good that he now can respond.
But this is unfortunate, he has only found his voice now because we expected him to respond when these things started.
He should have told people like Matemadanda [Victor], Mahiya [Douglas] and those youths who have been doing this thing in his name that they are barking like dogs. Surely, he can't tell us that just because we have asked him to come out clean.
He allowed his name to be used and abused, I assume, going by what he said, and today he tells us we are barking. we will bark in support of our president, not rebels.
When people were declaring him to be the next leader, he did not say they were barking, he remained quiet, now today, he is telling us we are barking, let him think so.
The Standard : What do you say to allegations that you were sent by First Lady Grace Mugabe and G40 to further their agenda against Mnangagwa?
Chimene : I don't know anything called G40. that is a creation of people in Lacoste, those who have been supporting the VP and that is why we are saying no to being divided as Zanu PF.
I am not a member of any faction and will not be. I respect the interests of my president and party leader Cde RG Mugabe.
We have no agenda at all. For your own information, what I said there represents the views and cries of many genuine war veterans and Zanu PF activists who feel those successionists who are dividing us must leave us united as we came from the bush.
Chimene: That was a platform presented to us as war veterans to present our grievances to the party.
We have been waiting for the VP to speak out and state his position on the matter, but we realised he was being quiet while the party was being divided.
All we are saying is, if the VP wants to topple the president, let him come out today and we go to congress so that we see what will become of him. We don't support illegal means of taking over.
The Standard: But why not use other ways to raise such issues rather than resorting to a rally to tell the president that his deputy is plotting to topple him?
Chimene: We have been quiet for too long and I think it's time we call a spade a spade. We should learn to tell each other the truth and build each other as we go. What they have been doing is disgusting; they have been doing it publicly, killing the party publicly, and should we just watch that happening like that? No.
The Standard : Do you have any evidence that Mnangagwa leads the so-called Lacoste faction as you alleged?
Chimene: When you want it, we will present it to you. But surely, are you serious in your question? Did you not read and hear [war veterans leader Christopher] Mutsvangwa and his cabal saying they want VP Mnangagwa to take over?
Have you not seen the same people and some more, especially the youths, who have publicly said they are team Lacoste? If you have not seen that, then there is a problem with your eyes.
The Standard : You were referred to as the acting chairperson for the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association. Were your actions not in violation of a court order that said you must not masquerade as leader of the association?
Chimene: Was the court there when we went to war? I was not invited to the liberation struggle by a court. In any case, I am just a caretaker leader. I will not be there forever.
I am not chairperson material. I enjoy being led by those who have the experience and value of the liberation struggle. I went to war in 1976 and it would be impossible for me to lead those who went to war in 1972. What value will I be bringing to them?
They have the war experience, understand the war better than me and have endured more than me. So those who think that Mandi wants to take over forever should think twice. Please tell them clearly, I am only a care taker leader, they must not worry about me too much
Source - The Standard
