5 things Zimbabweans didn't know about Joice Mujuru

IT is not too early to be writing reviews about the year 2014, which may well go down in history as one of the most politically charged and decisive moments in Zimbabwe.

In fact, the year is mortally ripe, with only a couple of weeks before its end and the ongoing Zanu-PF 6th National People's Congress is the biggest thing left on the calendar, after Christmas.

It is the same congress that has given 2014 its decisive character and tinge and some of the most important milestones is affording the world a glimpse into the real character and substance of one Joice Teurai Ropa Mujuru, who happens to be the country's Vice President.

Below are five things that Zimbabweans did not know much of this liberation war legend (or myth?) who was married to General Solomon Mujuru, alias Rex Nhongo, the national hero.

Deposing President Mugabe

Treachery is the word.

It is common knowledge that VP Mujuru owes almost everything she has politically to President Mugabe who made her a minister at Independence even though she was semi-literate.

To be illiterate is lacking the ability to read and write.

However, President Mugabe took the young veteran of the struggle in his wing, making her the youngest Cabinet minister at the age of 25 and suffering to educate her during evenings.

She has been part of the Executive ever since. In fact, her rise to the second highest office in the land and Zanu-PF party in 2004 owed to the benevolence of President Mugabe who indulged a change in the party constitution to award the vice presidency to a woman.

Emmerson Mnangagwa had won the nominations meriting a run for Number Two. Joice Mujuru was not even the most senior woman in Zanu-PF then. And how has she paid back?

Recent revelations indicate that no sooner had she settled in her donated role did she start planning to topple President Mugabe, her benefactor.

In 2006, Mashonaland East Province mounted an abortive Mai Mujuru-linked revolt against President Mugabe.

She then became part of the Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn project in which Simba Makoni broke from the party and challenged President Mugabe during the 2008 elections.

While this scheme failed to produce a leader in Makoni, the engineered split helped the opposition better to garner a parliamentary majority and a first round win for Morgan Tsvangirai in the presidential poll.

President Mugabe did well to recover in the run-off but was subsequently forced into a humiliating coalition with the opposition.

Meanwhile, Mai Mujuru did not lose sight of deposing President Mugabe.

She formed an alliance with the opposition, which, it is emerging, could be used to impeach President Mugabe.

Little wonder Mai Mujuru resisted the 2013 elections as they clearly upset her schemes. But she had another option.

Her factional sidekicks such as Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa have been outed as having planned to assassinate President Mugabe if he did not step down in her favour.

Corruption

Mai Mujuru shocked the whole nation last year when she castigated the media for exposing the rot in parastatals which were being cannibalised and stripped by their CEOs.

This was at a time when many people thought that Government had finally turned a corner and had taken a war to corrupt officials.

Mai Mujuru did not think so. She claimed that such exposure would destroy "the party". Now not many people are wondering why she made that indefensibly outrageous remark.

She has been exposed as a stinkingly corrupt person herself: being involved in anything from extortion from companies to exporting GMO chickens against Government policy and instructing Zimra not to tax her contraband.

She has also developed extensive networks and fronts that include her daughters and politicians such as Ray kaukonde.

Downing a chopper

That was the most heroic act that was attributed to Teurai Ropa.

Now from what we know, it wasn't the case — and many people of the liberation era knew about it. And guess who spread the propaganda?

It was, according to war veterans chairman Chris Mutsvangwa, none other than Webster Shamu whose alliance to Mai Mujuru has lived thus far as he also happens to have been in her faction seeking to depose President Mugabe.

By the way, a Linda Mangwende has come through to claim not only the heroic act but also the picture that apparently is mis-captioned in Mai Mujuru's favour.

Not contrite

After the massive exposure of her misdemeanors lately, Mai Mujuru was given a couple of basic choices: she had to ask for forgiveness from President Mugabe or resign from her position, which would show her contrition. She has done neither. In fact, she is doing worse.

Mai Mujuru has lately been boycotting Politburo meetings and crucially the opening of the ongoing Congress.

She may have her reasons, but she is increasingly cutting a figure of a rude, ill-disciplined child who refuses food and stays outdoors after being censured for a misdemeanor.

Those who follow sports, in particular team sports, may think of a player who rates himself highly and refuses to train or travel with the team because he has had a bust up with one member of the team or even the coach.

A word for it in sporting circles is ill-discipline.

It remains to be seen what Mai Mujuru's game plan is. Or is she planning to go all out and openly form alliances with the opposition as has been widely suspected?

Simple mind, unfit leader

Lastly, this is the crunch.

Two days ago, President Mugabe gave us an illuminate description of she being desperate to be leader.

He said his Number Two was of a "simple mind" unable to "withstand the pressures of statecraft."

Her simple mind makes her think, according to President Mugabe, that if she joins with the opposition Western governments will pour money into the country.

In other words, Zimbabwe does not need the kind blessing in, and of, such a leader.