News / National
LISTEN: Grace Mugabe savages Mnangagwa ally Charamba
30 Jul 2017 at 08:33hrs | Views
First Lady Grace Mugabe has once again urged President Robert Mugabe to name a successor in order to stop factionalism crippling the ruling Zanu-PF party, claiming that presidential spokesperson George Charamba and several other people are fanning conflicts in the party.
In several media platforms monitored from Washington, Mrs. Mugabe, who appeared angry on stage in Chinhoyi at a rally organized by the Zanu-PF Youth League, said the president should have a say on the person who will succeed him contrary to some people's beliefs that he has no role to play.
"I know the constitution. I am educated and remember that I am Doctor Grace Mugabe. I know what I am talking about. All what I am saying is that the president has a role to play in his own succession. He cannot just watch the process …"
She attacked senior party officials fanning factionalism, including Mrs. Sarah Mahoka, who she claimed wanted the party to remove Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa from office.
She added that some people even wanted to victimize Zanu-PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and Higher Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo.
"… Please let us tell each other the truth. The truth must come out now. Kasukuwere was just being victimized. Kasukuwere is a minister appointed by the president… There is no one with a right to remove Kasukuwere without the authority of the president. If people were not happy with what Kasukuwere was doing then they should have written down their grievances and approached the president. It's not good for big people to stand before crowds and utter useless things. Stop it.
"… If we are doing a lot of things with Kasukuwere and Jonathan Moyo, let them do their work. You even create corruption cases against them. There have no case to answer. We have been quite for a long time. This must stop. Guys if you do not understand each other on certain issues, sit down and sort them out."
At the same time, she attacked presidential spokesperson, George Charamba, for using the State-controlled Herald newspaper as a platform for attacking some Zanu-PF activists like Moyo, Kasukuwere and others.
"Right now in The Herald there are some people that are being attacked but others are not being attacked. Stop it … I have tried to bring you close (Charamba) but you did not reciprocate … You cannot separate the president from his wife. That can't happen … He (Charamba) must stand for the truth and write developmental stories … He knows that we do a lot of good work in Mazowe and he is not concerned about that. You have no right to attack ministers George …"
The combative first lady further noted that factionalism is crippling the party. "People look at President Mugabe and say he is now old and say we are being left out (of the succession race) … He (Mugabe) may be slow when walking but he is strong … President Mugabe is the one we elected in the last (Zanu-PF) Congress. We elected him and I know that there is an elective process once again where we will select others.
"… But there will come a time when the president will say he is wants to rest. He can't just sit and watch the succession process … You (Mugabe) will lead us in that process … when his time comes. If you (Mugabe) don't like that say it right now in front of people. People say everything will start with the mother of the nation … Mark my step … Everybody must back the mother of the nation."
Mrs. Mugabe said is not expected to leave chaos in the party and nation without participating in the succession issue.
"You (people) can insult me or whatever but that is the scheme of things. When time comes there is no one that will take Mugabe's post without his blessings. Period. Without his blessings you can't be president of this nation."
Mrs. Mugabe allegedly leads a faction called Generation 40 while Mnangagwa is said to be the frontman for another group nicknamed Team Lacoste. The two factions are fighting for President Mugabe's succession.
Mr. Mugabe, 93, is the sole Zanu-PF presidential candidate for the 2018 poll.
In several media platforms monitored from Washington, Mrs. Mugabe, who appeared angry on stage in Chinhoyi at a rally organized by the Zanu-PF Youth League, said the president should have a say on the person who will succeed him contrary to some people's beliefs that he has no role to play.
"I know the constitution. I am educated and remember that I am Doctor Grace Mugabe. I know what I am talking about. All what I am saying is that the president has a role to play in his own succession. He cannot just watch the process …"
She attacked senior party officials fanning factionalism, including Mrs. Sarah Mahoka, who she claimed wanted the party to remove Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa from office.
She added that some people even wanted to victimize Zanu-PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere and Higher Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo.
"… Please let us tell each other the truth. The truth must come out now. Kasukuwere was just being victimized. Kasukuwere is a minister appointed by the president… There is no one with a right to remove Kasukuwere without the authority of the president. If people were not happy with what Kasukuwere was doing then they should have written down their grievances and approached the president. It's not good for big people to stand before crowds and utter useless things. Stop it.
"… If we are doing a lot of things with Kasukuwere and Jonathan Moyo, let them do their work. You even create corruption cases against them. There have no case to answer. We have been quite for a long time. This must stop. Guys if you do not understand each other on certain issues, sit down and sort them out."
"Right now in The Herald there are some people that are being attacked but others are not being attacked. Stop it … I have tried to bring you close (Charamba) but you did not reciprocate … You cannot separate the president from his wife. That can't happen … He (Charamba) must stand for the truth and write developmental stories … He knows that we do a lot of good work in Mazowe and he is not concerned about that. You have no right to attack ministers George …"
The combative first lady further noted that factionalism is crippling the party. "People look at President Mugabe and say he is now old and say we are being left out (of the succession race) … He (Mugabe) may be slow when walking but he is strong … President Mugabe is the one we elected in the last (Zanu-PF) Congress. We elected him and I know that there is an elective process once again where we will select others.
"… But there will come a time when the president will say he is wants to rest. He can't just sit and watch the succession process … You (Mugabe) will lead us in that process … when his time comes. If you (Mugabe) don't like that say it right now in front of people. People say everything will start with the mother of the nation … Mark my step … Everybody must back the mother of the nation."
Mrs. Mugabe said is not expected to leave chaos in the party and nation without participating in the succession issue.
"You (people) can insult me or whatever but that is the scheme of things. When time comes there is no one that will take Mugabe's post without his blessings. Period. Without his blessings you can't be president of this nation."
Mrs. Mugabe allegedly leads a faction called Generation 40 while Mnangagwa is said to be the frontman for another group nicknamed Team Lacoste. The two factions are fighting for President Mugabe's succession.
Mr. Mugabe, 93, is the sole Zanu-PF presidential candidate for the 2018 poll.
Source - voa
