'Poisoned' Mnangagwa airlifted to South Africa

VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has reportedly been air lifted to South Africa for medical attention after his health is reported to have deteriorated yesterday.

A well-placed source said Mnangagwa was taken out of the country in the company of his wife Auxillia.

"He is now out of the country to seek further medical attention following (the poisoning). I can't tell you more," the source said.

Details were scant at the time of going to print, but sources had initially revealed that Mnangagwa had been discharged after the alleged poisoning that happened at President Robert Mugabe's youth interface rally in Gwanda on Saturday.

Another source said Mnangagwa left at 10:20am from Manyame Air Base en-route to Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He was accompanied by his wife, his son and other close family associates.

Mnangagwa, sources said, was supposed to have an engagement with war veterans in Mwenezi yesterday, but did not pitch due to his affliction.

The VP had earlier yesterday been reportedly discharged from Thornhill Airbase military medical facility in Gweru, where he had been admitted.

Although Zanu-PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo and Information deputy minister Thokozile Mathuthu declined to comment on the matter citing VIP security concerns, sources in Mnangagwa's family said he had been certified fit and discharged from the medical facility.

"It's nothing to do with the public, it's a personal issue," Mathuthu said.

"If someone has a flu and is not feeling well, why should the government issue a statement?

"It has got nothing to do with the government, you should talk to the Vice-President himself."

Moyo said he was unaware Mnangagwa had been taken ill.

"To be honest my brother, I am in the dark as you are. I have not been briefed, so I don't know," he said.

"If nobody has bothered to tell me, then how would I know?"

Efforts to contact presidential spokesperson, George Charamba for comment were fruitless, as his mobile phone went unanswered, while the minister of State in Mnangagwa's office, Clifford Sibanda, was also unreachable.

But Mnangagwa's allies were convinced itwas their foes were behind the "poisoning".

"This is the work of G40. They want to kill him because they have failed to discredit him and now the answer is to eliminate him," a top official aligned to Mnangagwa claimed.

"We are going to respond and the response will be felt."

Even people close to the family said they suspected that the Vice-President was poisoned by his rivals within the ruling Zanu-PF party in an alleged attempt on his life.

The sources said the VP was taken ill after he complained of feeling dizzy after drinking a fruit juice during the rally.

"He had some drink during his flight in the helicopter and at the rally. So we are no longer sure where he could have ingested the poisonous food," one of the sources said.

According to protocol used on VVIPs, Mnangagwa was supposed to be rushed to a military hospital at Thornhill Airbase in Gweru, but he chose to be taken to a private hospital in the Midlands capital first before he was later transferred to the airbase after he was ruled out of danger.

"He refused to go to the military base and, instead, chose to go to the private hospital. He was later transferred to Thornhill after his doctor saw that he was out of danger," a close family member said.

Larry Mavima, a close friend to the Mnangagwa family, who accompanied the Vice-President to Thornhill Airbase, yesterday declined to comment on his condition.

"I have no comment. Please refer to the Vice-President's office for details," he said.

Sources said when Mnangagwa was discharged from Thornhill, doctors are reported to have prescribed bed rest and said he was out of danger.

Meanwhile, United Family International Church (UFIC) leader, Emmanuel Makandiwa reportedly told his followers during a church service yesterday that he prophesied Mnangagwa's food poisoning incident on April 9 this year and publicly shared the prophesy.

"I see someone in authority, who is loyal to a higher office, swallowing poison through food and vomiting blood and rushed to the hospital and only prayer can save him," Makandiwa said in an April recorded video, which he showed to his congregants yesterday.

UFIC spokesperson Prime Kufa confirmed the prophecy, saying: "Yes the video was played, re-living the service of the 9th of April wherein the man of God spoke about the need to pray for a prominent politician because he was seeing something entering his stomach causing him to vomit — food first and then blood and ending up in hospital. Though the man of God did not mention any names, you need to watch the footage in order to come up with your own interpretation."