News / National
Mnangagwa is a smiling merchant of death
07 Apr 2019 at 08:40hrs | Views
FORMER Deputy Prime Minister, Thokozani Khupe might have been left in a sticky situation after his MDC-T party national chairman Abedinico Bhebhe compared President Emmerson Mnangagwa to his predecessor former President Robert Mugabe.
The comparison comes as Khupe has been attending dialogue meetings called by the Zanu-PF leader and recently was part of a group of political leaders that accompanied Mnangagwa in a tour of cyclone ravaged Manicaland.
Bhebhe told a media briefing in Bulawayo, that Mnangagwa's so called "new dispensation" has in fact brought "new doom" to Zimbabweans.
"A cruel Mugabe and a cruel Mnangagwa are the same. Mugabe was the architect of Gukurahundi while Mnangagwa implemented it.
"Under President Mnangagwa's misrule, we as a nation have been served the same dosage of slow poison which Mugabe fed us for 38 yrs, except this time the nurse is smiling and is proclaiming peace while he is an agent of death just like his predecessor."
Gukurahundi, refers to a State sponsored military campaign that targeted then opposition Zapu supporters in the western parts of the country, under the guise of hunting down a handful of dissidents.
Conservative estimates claim some 20 000 civilians were killed in the bloody campaign, that ended with a Unity Accord between Mugabe and then Zapu leader Joshua Nkomo in 1987.
Bhebhe added that the current government is only obsessed with power retention at all cost regardless of human tragedy.
"The crisis which the country finds itself in is exacerbated by an uncaring Zanu-PF government which is only obsessed with power retention at all cost regardless of the human strategy in pursuit of this power," he said.
Party vice president Obert Gutu recently told newzimbabwe.com in an interview that Mnangagwa was "far much better than Mugabe."
"Give me Mnangagwa any day any time. Mugabe was bad news," said Gutu.
Former Nkayi legislator Bhebhe, also defended the recent sacking of former national spokesperson Linda Masarira from the party.
"It must be appreciated that the moment Ms Linda Masarira dawned that ‘Zambia' (Zanu-PF regalia, she fired herself by operation of the MDC –T constitution.
"No genuine MDC –T cadre can be seen to be supportive of the same (Zanu-PF) by commission or even omission," said Bhebhe.
The outspoken Masarira was on Fools Day expelled from the political grouping over allegations she was pictured wearing Zanu-PF regalia.
Bhebhe also defended the party's participation in the current national dialogue, which has been boycotted by the mainstream opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa.
"A distinction is drawn between support for Zanu-PF and participation in a national dialogue to help Zimbabwe move forward.
"Our constitution states that the change we advocate for will be achieved only through democratic and peaceful means," he said.
"The present government was declared duly elected by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Constitutional Court hence we attended the inauguration of the President of which all democratic and progressive parties do all over the world."
The comparison comes as Khupe has been attending dialogue meetings called by the Zanu-PF leader and recently was part of a group of political leaders that accompanied Mnangagwa in a tour of cyclone ravaged Manicaland.
Bhebhe told a media briefing in Bulawayo, that Mnangagwa's so called "new dispensation" has in fact brought "new doom" to Zimbabweans.
"A cruel Mugabe and a cruel Mnangagwa are the same. Mugabe was the architect of Gukurahundi while Mnangagwa implemented it.
"Under President Mnangagwa's misrule, we as a nation have been served the same dosage of slow poison which Mugabe fed us for 38 yrs, except this time the nurse is smiling and is proclaiming peace while he is an agent of death just like his predecessor."
Gukurahundi, refers to a State sponsored military campaign that targeted then opposition Zapu supporters in the western parts of the country, under the guise of hunting down a handful of dissidents.
Conservative estimates claim some 20 000 civilians were killed in the bloody campaign, that ended with a Unity Accord between Mugabe and then Zapu leader Joshua Nkomo in 1987.
Bhebhe added that the current government is only obsessed with power retention at all cost regardless of human tragedy.
"The crisis which the country finds itself in is exacerbated by an uncaring Zanu-PF government which is only obsessed with power retention at all cost regardless of the human strategy in pursuit of this power," he said.
Party vice president Obert Gutu recently told newzimbabwe.com in an interview that Mnangagwa was "far much better than Mugabe."
"Give me Mnangagwa any day any time. Mugabe was bad news," said Gutu.
Former Nkayi legislator Bhebhe, also defended the recent sacking of former national spokesperson Linda Masarira from the party.
"It must be appreciated that the moment Ms Linda Masarira dawned that ‘Zambia' (Zanu-PF regalia, she fired herself by operation of the MDC –T constitution.
"No genuine MDC –T cadre can be seen to be supportive of the same (Zanu-PF) by commission or even omission," said Bhebhe.
The outspoken Masarira was on Fools Day expelled from the political grouping over allegations she was pictured wearing Zanu-PF regalia.
Bhebhe also defended the party's participation in the current national dialogue, which has been boycotted by the mainstream opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa.
"A distinction is drawn between support for Zanu-PF and participation in a national dialogue to help Zimbabwe move forward.
"Our constitution states that the change we advocate for will be achieved only through democratic and peaceful means," he said.
"The present government was declared duly elected by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Constitutional Court hence we attended the inauguration of the President of which all democratic and progressive parties do all over the world."
Source - newzimbabwe
