Mnangagwa against hounding Mugabe loyalists

FORMER Zanu-PF Youth League political commissar, Godfrey Tsenengamu has claimed self-exiled ex-cabinet minister, Saviour 'Tyson' Kasukuwere will win the impending 2023 presidential election as this was God's plan.

He sternly warned Mnangagwa against hounding the Presidential aspirant using arrest threats, thereby preventing him from launching a free and fair electoral campaign.

According to a leaked audio recording between Tsenengamu and Mnangagwa's nephew, Vengai Musengi, who is former Mashonaland West Zanu-PF Youth League chairman, Mnangagwa had failed to forgive and unite feuding factions within Zanu-PF.

The clip begins with Tsenengamu telling the president's nephew to record the conversation and forward it to his uncle.

He goes on to warn Mnangagwa, who led the Lacoste faction during the bitter succession race, to stop persecuting then G40 members, including Kasukuwere, as this had potential to "spark war".

"You are creating a huge problem for yourselves, Vengi and your uncle as well as your supporters, by hounding others. What you are planting you shall reap l tell you, advise each other correctly.

"Do you think you are so strong or too big that you don't fit between prison gates? Why are you willy-nilly throwing people into jail?" said Tsenengamu.

Godfrey Tsenengamu

He said Kasukuwere and all G40 elements deserved to be pardoned and reintegrated into Zanu-PF because they were not wrong to claim loyalty and allegiance to then president Robert Mugabe.

"What if there is a rebellion against your uncle today, is it a crime for some people to support him and not those plotting to overthrow him?

"Why do you punish loyal people? (Is it) because those people were loyal to Mugabe? After we were done with the Mugabe issue, people were supposed to be united."

At this juncture Musengi retorts, "Do you want people to be united by leaders holed up in South Africa?" in apparent reference to Kasukuwere, former ministers Walter Mzembi, Patrick Zhuwawo and Jonathan Moyo.

Tsenengamu, who was summarily dismissed from the party, responds saying some politicians were in exile not out of choice, but fear of being thrown behind bars.

Now a member of what is known as Original Zanu-PF, Tsenengamu said he had correctly predicted that Mnangagwa would take over from Mugabe, and this time around Kasukuwere would succeed the incumbent State president.

"By then they said l was mad…l am here again. Tyson is going to be president whether you like it or not, whether l like it or not.

"I am telling you that you cannot stop God's plan. Instead of fighting him like what you are doing (mend relations) because you are creating a war you cannot fix tomorrow. You will definitely reap what you are sowing."

Tsenengamu challenges Mnangagwa whom he accuses of looting minerals to allow Kasukuwere to campaign freely ahead of elections and let the best candidate win.

"If you know Tyson doesn't have people's support, why not just let him contest and lose," he said.

Since throwing his name into the presidential race after successfully filing nomination papers through a proxy last week, there have been attempts to bar Kasukuwere from contesting the presidency with Justice permanent secretary, Virginia Mabiza and police confirming two arrest warrants await him.