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Mugabe successor brawl explodes

by Staff reporter
22 Jan 2017 at 15:20hrs | Views

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's succession debate has reached a boiling point, with Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo declaring that he will never support Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's presidency, accusing his boss of a litany of crimes.

Moyo, speaking in exclusive interview following a warning by a state media columnist Nathaniel Manheru (believed to be Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba) to stay away from the succession debate, launched a salvo at Mnangagwa that left no doubt that the two are at each other's throats.

"It is not in my power to block anyone's path or destiny. But because this issue keeps coming up as if Zanu-PF members have a constitutional or divine duty to support VP Mnangagwa's presidential ambitions, let me make it clear that I don't and I will not support VP Mnangagwa for the presidency," he said.

Moyo said Mugabe was still in charge and would not, therefore, support anyone except the incumbent.

The minister also took issue with Mnangagwa's attempts to absolve himself of any wrongdoing over Gukurahundi in an interview with a British magazine, The New Statesman.

Moyo claimed he now had "undisputable evidence" that Mnangagwa was behind his arrest last year. He suggested that Mugabe's successor would be elected, not "anointed".

He took aim at Charamba, describing him as a rogue spokesperson who was now negating his duty of speaking on behalf of his boss to pursue factional interests.

Attempts to give Mugabe's spokesperson an opportunity to respond to the attacks by Moyo drew a blank this week after he failed to respond to questions sent to him by The Standard.

Source - the standard