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Mnangagwa skips Dabengwa's burial
31 May 2019 at 13:41hrs | Views
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is not attending the burial of liberation war hero Dumiso Dabengwa at his Ntabazinduna rural home outside Bulawayo.
Dabengwa died in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday last week, while coming from India where he had gone for treatment.
Two former South African Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and also former South African Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbete are attending.
Hopewell Chin'ono said, there is a historical lens that we can use to understand what is happening today.
Government sources and insiders within the Dabengwa family said there had been serious agonising on both sides over Mnangagwa's presence. On his part, sources say, he wants to attend, but he fears a backlash. On the part of the family, insiders said, he is not wanted there.
The presence of MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, the president's bitter rival, Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni and Dabengwa's allies from the region, especially South Africa, also further complicates Mnangagwa's position, insiders said.
Mnangagwa was instrumental in the framing and arrest of senior-PF Zapu leaders and Zipra commanders during the early 1980s as his then boss, former president Robert Mugabe, sought to crush Zapu and its leader Joshua Nkomo to ensure a one-party state and consolidate power.
Mnangagwa last year made several attempts to lure Dabengwa back to Zanu-PF and government, but the former Home Affairs minister turned down the offer, saying he would only be willing to serve in government as a Zapu leader in line with the 1987 Unity Accord between-PF Zapu and Zanu-PF.
During his lifetime, Dabengwa and Mnangagwa had a turbulent relationship stemming from the latter's role in his incarceration during the Gukurahundi era.
Mnangagwa was the State Security minister at the time.
Dabengwa died in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday last week, while coming from India where he had gone for treatment.
Two former South African Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma and also former South African Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbete are attending.
Hopewell Chin'ono said, there is a historical lens that we can use to understand what is happening today.
Mnangagwa is not attending Dabengwa's funeral & burial whilst 2 former South African Presidents Thabo Mbeki & Jacob Zuma & also former South African Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbete are attending. There is a historical lens that we can use to understand what is happening today pic.twitter.com/9kP4ST1CKd
— Hopewell Chin'ono (@daddyhope) May 31, 2019
Government sources and insiders within the Dabengwa family said there had been serious agonising on both sides over Mnangagwa's presence. On his part, sources say, he wants to attend, but he fears a backlash. On the part of the family, insiders said, he is not wanted there.
Mnangagwa was instrumental in the framing and arrest of senior-PF Zapu leaders and Zipra commanders during the early 1980s as his then boss, former president Robert Mugabe, sought to crush Zapu and its leader Joshua Nkomo to ensure a one-party state and consolidate power.
Mnangagwa last year made several attempts to lure Dabengwa back to Zanu-PF and government, but the former Home Affairs minister turned down the offer, saying he would only be willing to serve in government as a Zapu leader in line with the 1987 Unity Accord between-PF Zapu and Zanu-PF.
During his lifetime, Dabengwa and Mnangagwa had a turbulent relationship stemming from the latter's role in his incarceration during the Gukurahundi era.
Mnangagwa was the State Security minister at the time.
Source - Byo24News
