Khaya Moyo reacts to 'Mnangagwa was poisoned, Mugabe confirms' - police arrest one

THE story which appeared in The Daily News yesterday claiming that President Mugabe had confirmed Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's "poisoning" was criminal and meant to incite public alarm, Zanu-PF spokesperson Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo has said.

In the article headlined "ED was poisoned, Mugabe confirms", the daily claimed President Mugabe had revealed this at the seventh Presidential Youth Interface Rally in Gweru last Friday.

However, Ambassador Moyo said: "The headline in The Daily News is not only irresponsible and mischievous, but a confirmation that at some newspapers, journalism has gone to the gutters.

"The article is a clear form of criminal conduct and absolute hogwash.

"President Mugabe was addressing thousands of people at the Youth Interface Rally in Gweru and was very eloquent, and gave details about the alleged food poisoning. He emphasised that he had spent more than an hour with the VP and the VP's doctor at State House last Wednesday."

He continued: "The doctor who was flown from South Africa to address the allegations of poisoning confirmed that there was no poisoning as confirmed by blood samples. The VP was, however, very ill with a lot of vomiting, diarrhoea and a swollen face, but was urgently treated in South Africa and is now fit again.

"The doctor told the President that they will keep monitoring the Vice-President to find out what may have caused the sickness, but it was not food poisoning. The party is relieved by the doctor's report because we were very concerned about this development.

"The police have, of course, apprehended someone who spread the falsehood on his Facebook page and is now appearing in court. We hope that he will reveal the source of this alarm and despondency."

Clarifying the matter on Friday, President Mugabe said: "Ehe, wakanga wakuenda murume uyu. Kana iye anoti aah ndanga ndisingazive. Taive tese-ka; hapana chaanondivanzira ini. 'Ndanga ndisisazive, ndisisazive'. Ende ivo vanotiwo brain yake was getting affected, but hanzi takangosimbirira chete kuti we must build up his body; zvimwe zvese tozotarisa.

"Zvichinzi takakwanisa, President. Ndozvandoda kukuudzai kuti he is fit again now. He is back. Asi, tichiri kuda kuziva, kuongorora kuti zvakambouya sei. Hanzi tichaita maresearch edu akakwana, tinoramba tichiita zviitiko tichiona kuti hazvichadzokere futi pakare here.

"But it is not food poisoning. No!. . .VaMnangagwa vozoti aiwa handina kumbodya ice cream. 'Haa kune varoyi vanaSekeramayi nanaDr Parirenyatwa'. Madoctor ataive nawo kuhondo vachirapa masoja, vachirapa vanhu? Chifungai zvino kana toti vakadaro ndivo vakauraya kana vakapa mushonga wakuvadza mumwe wedu."

The President added: "Zvirikungotaurwa izvi nevanhu varikubvotomoka. . .? But wadaro, chiva neruzivo . . . iii kunanga munhu zvakadaro chivi kana. Mabhunu vakanga vasingazvide. Ndosaka vakaisa murawo wainzi Witchcraft (Suppression) Act wekunanga munhu. 'Uyu muroyi, uyu muroyi.' Hazviitwe! Unoenda kujeri straight. Hazviitwe! Ko ava vauri kudaro vanofungawo sei nekuti pachokwadi pasina zvavakaita?"

President Mugabe also said: "VaMnangagwa vakazoonawo kuti ini ndive neruzivo rwokuti vakatambura sei, vakazobatsirwa sei. Saka chiremba wavo akauya about three days ago, four days, akanditsanangurira zvakanakisisa. Takagara navo more than one hour kuState House nadoctor wavo achiti VaMnangagwa vaapatient wangu for 20 years.

"Hanzi takatora zvose; tichitarisa muropa aiwa hapana food poisoning yakavapo. Asi chakatishamisa chete ndechekuti uyu umwe wedu uyu wakarwara diarrhoea, kuvhomita dakara asisagone kuvhomita, achifenda nekuzvimba. Hanzi kuzvimba takangochichirira chete. Ropa ranga risisakwane. Akanga asisina zvino simba. Nyama iyi yangova katanda kakabatana. Takarwira chete kuti timuponese nekubisa kuzvimba kwakanga kwavepo."