'Mugabe wants to take Zimbabwe to the grave'

SOUTH African opposition party, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on Tuesday night further twisted in the knife, accusing President Robert Mugabe of wishing to take Zimbabwe to the grave.

This was after Zanu-PF reacted angrily to EFF leader, Julius Malema's accusation that Mugabe was surrounded by cowards, who had no guts to ask him to step down.

"Before Zanu-PF and its youth wing respond to the EFF about the charge that they are cowards, they should ask themselves a simple question: What is revolutionary about being led by a person in old age, who sleeps all the time in meetings, can no longer even hold a pen or write half a page?" EFF spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi questioned.

He said Mugabe, who turns 93 next month and is already anointed Zanu-PF presidential candidate in elections next year, had become a caricature of African rulers, who want to die in office.

"Mugabe is the bastion of the reactionary phenomenon of ‘lead to the death' that has crippled the image and praxis of post-colonial Africa," Ndlozi said.

"Mugabe is not only the contemporary engine of personality cult, but he is protected by a group of cowards around him, who hypocritically defend him every day while harbouring ambitions to lead soon."

Malema's party said Zanu-PF did not have youths in its "youth league".

"They should be ashamed of themselves for holding the future from being born in Zimbabwe," Ndlozi fired, adding African liberation stalwarts like Nelson Mandela, Julius Nyerere and Oliver Tambo "knew when it was enough and handed over the baton to others".

Meanwhile, independent Norton lawmaker, Temba Mliswa has come out in support of Malema and his party, saying he was only amplifying the thoughts of many Zanu-PF members.

"It is only normal to have a succession plan and there is nothing amiss in its announcement for His Excellency to pave way and serve as an adviser," he said.