News / National
Mugabe says was in the dark over Mnangagwa presidential ambitions
07 Sep 2018 at 14:57hrs | Views
FORMER President Robert Mugabe Thursday made startling claims he had not been aware his then deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa harboured presidential ambitions.
The 94-year-old veteran politician was addressing mourners who gathered for his late mother-in-law, Ambuya Idah Marufu's funeral.
Mugabe took time to endorse his former aide's recent victory as the country's new leader.
In his comments, the long serving former leader said his choice for successor was then Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi while denying he once had plans to install his wife Grace as President.
"What happed yesterday was wrong and that has been put aside by the election results. For today the winner is Emmerson Mnangagwa," Mugabe said while referring to the November 14 coup that ousted him.
Mugabe said he had not known of any Mnangagwa presidential ambitions when he was still at the helm of the country.
"I didn't know Emmerson wanted to be the President," he said.
"I was of the wish that since we were going to the party (Zanu-PF) congress in December (2017), I wanted people to vote for Sekeramayi because he was senior to Mnangagwa."
"So Sekeremayi was my successor, those who said I wanted to hand over power to Grace that was a lie.
"These are issues of the congress and even my idea of Sekeramayi succeeding me, I was going to put it on the December congress agenda.
"I even confided this in former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki.
"But everything changed when Emmerson approached the army and Chiwenga (then Commander Defence Forces) to assist him and when he heard that the army was in support of him, then we said they must help us at the congress."
The 94-year-old veteran politician was addressing mourners who gathered for his late mother-in-law, Ambuya Idah Marufu's funeral.
Mugabe took time to endorse his former aide's recent victory as the country's new leader.
In his comments, the long serving former leader said his choice for successor was then Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi while denying he once had plans to install his wife Grace as President.
"What happed yesterday was wrong and that has been put aside by the election results. For today the winner is Emmerson Mnangagwa," Mugabe said while referring to the November 14 coup that ousted him.
Mugabe said he had not known of any Mnangagwa presidential ambitions when he was still at the helm of the country.
"I didn't know Emmerson wanted to be the President," he said.
"I was of the wish that since we were going to the party (Zanu-PF) congress in December (2017), I wanted people to vote for Sekeramayi because he was senior to Mnangagwa."
"So Sekeremayi was my successor, those who said I wanted to hand over power to Grace that was a lie.
"These are issues of the congress and even my idea of Sekeramayi succeeding me, I was going to put it on the December congress agenda.
"I even confided this in former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki.
"But everything changed when Emmerson approached the army and Chiwenga (then Commander Defence Forces) to assist him and when he heard that the army was in support of him, then we said they must help us at the congress."
Source - newzimbabwe
