'Mnangagwa was not poisoned,' says Mugabe

President Robert Mugabe has hit out at people peddling falsehoods that Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was poisoned.

Mnangagwa fell sick last month during the Matabeleland South Presidential Youth Interface rally at Phelendaba Stadium in Gwanda.

He was treated in South Africa, and after returning home, he was part of the crowd that bid farewell to the late national hero, George Rutanhira and heroine, Maud Muzenda at Stodart Hall, Mbare on Sunday even though he did not proceed to witness their joint burial at the National Heroes Acre.

Showing signs of recovery from the saga, the Vice President and his wife, Auxillia were at their home provincial capital, Gweru today for the seventh Presidential Youth Interface rally at the Mkoba open grounds.

Addressing thousands of party supporters, President Mugabe said it is unfortunate that some people claim that Mnangagwa was poisoned by ministers Dr David Parirenyatwa and Dr Sydney Sekeramayi, while others claim that he was served with poisoned Alpha and Omega ice-cream.

"Ice cream yedu inoisvonaka, zvino tobva taisa poison?" asked Mugabe.

"His doctor came and we had over 1 hour 30 minutes at State House, where he explained everything to me. He said Mnangagwa has been my patient for over 20 years. He said there was no food poisoning as there were no traces of poison in his blood but what surprised us is that he vomited until he could not do so, fainted several times, apo achizvimba nekuzvimba. Chakanyanyotityisa ndechekuti ropa rake rakange ravashoma and brain dzake futi was affected. Oh anga ava kuenda murume uyu, ndanga ndisisazive. Now we must build up his strength, his body, he is now fit again, wasimba, he is back asi tichirikuda kuziva kuti zvakambouya sei, tichiongorora kuti hazvichadzoki futi here. But it's not food poisoning. Nesu zvakativhundutsa chose. Tinorwara tese, miviri iyi inoneta dzimwe nguva, wongonzwa kuti munhu adonha, zvinoitika. Now nemudzimai wake chasara kutevedzera chikafu chaakanzi adye, nyama akanzi asabata, hameno hako kana wanga une mbudzi wotondipa ndinodzidya," the President explained.

Mugabe also spoke on the unity in the presidium: "Kwatakabva kure. Kwatakabva kure takabatana. Arwara ipapo takadai ini, vaVaMphoko naVaMnangagwa, ndini ndarwara, ndinenge ndichitoda kuziva kuti aenda kuhospital, aita sei ikoko. Imi munenge musingazivi izvozvo, muchongoti aroiwa, pane vatisingawirirani navo vekunemamwe maprovinces ndivo varoyi."

He added that there are opponents and not witches. "The party has principles that must be followed and those that fail to follow the rules cannot be bewitched but must be disciplined within the party structures."

President Mugabe's remarks come a day after Vice President Mnangagwa refuted claims that he consumed an ice cream laced with poison from Gushungo Dairy.

In  a statement, the Vice President said, contrary to claims that he consumed ice cream from Gushungo Dairy at the high table on the occasion of the Youth Interface rally held at Pelandaba Stadium in Gwanda on the 12th of this month, no such thing ever occurred.

He said the insinuation that he partook of ice cream from the Gushungo Dairy, is false and mischievous and is being peddled by unscrupolous elements with a sinister agenda of creating a rift between him and the First Family adding that those peddling the falsehoods only want to lower confidence in products from the dairy and cause unnecessary alarm and despondency among peace-loving Zimbabweans.