News / National
Grace tells Mujuru to apologise to Mugabe or risk being dumped
17 Oct 2014 at 07:14hrs | Views
The FIRST Lady Dr Grace Mugabe's penultimate rally at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura yesterday took no prisoners as she catalogued a list of corruption allegations against a senior female Zanu-PF member she accused of fanning factionalism.
In remarks widely believed to be directed at Vice President Joice Mujuru, the First Lady urged her to approach President Mugabe and ask for forgiveness or risk being dumped because the President was fed up with her divisive activities.
Though the First Lady did not mention the female faction leader by name in her address, sources who attended a closed-door briefing with provincial leaders ahead of the rally said Dr Mugabe had mentioned the Vice President by name.
In her address, the First Lady accused the female faction leader of illicit diamond dealings, extorting shareholding in some companies, demanding 10 percent bribes and undermining the authority of President Mugabe in remarks which were punctuated by chants of "pasi neGamatox" from the fired up crowd.
"The person leading factions is the same person who accuses me of being involved in diamond deals, yet it is them that own a diamond mine," said Dr Mugabe.
"That person also moves around saying I want to acquire money using unscrupulous means when it is known that I started my businesses from scratch.
"It is that same person who goes around demanding 10 percent shareholding in companies. If you go to any company now, the name of that person is mentioned. You lead factions, you extort companies and you are involved in illicit diamond deals, so you cannot say you are not corrupt."
Dr Mugabe said the factionalism "demon" originated in Mashonaland Central, home to VP Mujuru, before spreading to other areas.
The First Lady said the moment of truth was beckoning for faction leaders and she had advised the President to dump them before they were rejected by the people at Congress.
"Ndakati ini kunaBaba baby-dumping munoiziva here? Vakati ehe. Ndakati munhu iyeye arikutungamira factionalism tirikuda kuti muite baby-dumping. Mukasamudumper isusu tichamudumper. Tichaita isu baby-dumping nekuti zvinodivider musangano (I told the President that if you do not dump that faction leader we will dump her ourselves)," said Dr Mugabe.
"Tonodumper mwana mustreet ogodyiwa nemagora nekuti kana takuita expose kana nhunzi chaidzo ukange wafa apo hadzidi kutombosvika padhuze newe nokuti dzinenge dzakutotya corruption iri pauri. Nhunzi chaidzo, kana imbwa chaidzo dzinenge dzakutotya kusvika padhuze (We will dump her in the streets and she will be eaten by vultures and no one will come close because of corruption)".
Dr Mugabe urged those involved in factionalism to apologise to the President or risk being abandoned by the people.
"Zvese zvekuti Gamatox tirikutaura madimikira, but richasvika zuva rekuti tichataura kuti taibvira ani.
"Some of you had chances (to lead) but you are doing harm to yourselves because of greediness," she said.
"Kana urikuzvinzwa nemaadvisor ako ikoko simuka uende kuna Baba Mugabe unoti zvandanga ndichiita ndasiya pasi ndachera chikomba ndisvipire (Go to the President together with your advisors and apologise)."
Dr Mugabe said those using money in the province risked being left alone because the "factionalism demon" had been exorcised in all the provinces she toured.
She said instead of working on programmes that benefited the people, faction leaders were busy sowing seeds of division.
"You cannot continue denying that you lead a faction every day. Wherever you are, go together with your cronies go and apologise (to the President) before it is too late because the President is also fed up with these issues."
Dr Mugabe said the female faction leader had been angered by her nomination to lead the Women's League, yet many people had also campaigned for her to be Vice President.
"We campaigned for you not only last year, but over the years, but now it is a war because I have been nominated," she said.
"I am the President's wife and I have influence and I am also able to talk to people like you do. I do not think anything good would come out if I mobilise people to go in the streets and dump you."
Dr Mugabe said some people took advantage because they were in leadership positions, resulting in some buying shares in newspapers for them to write bad articles about her.
"Iye munhu mukuru, mukadzi mukuru ndiye arikuorganiser vamwe vanhu kunotorera vanhu mugodhi wavo. This should end. You should draw wisdom from those who are capable not to going around gossiping," she said.
Those who live in glass houses, Dr Mugabe said, should not throw stones.
"We know there is factionalism and that there is one person who is leading, so if that person does not listen to what we are saying the moment of truth will come," she said.
"The youths even said to me that we should expose the person leading factions, but I told them to wait until the right time comes. When I came here people told me that they had been instructed not to welcome me. But whether or not you smile at me it does not matter."
Dr Mugabe said provincial youth chairpersons from Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland East had been instructed to snub her rallies.
"They were told not to follow me, but ndoda kuvaudza kuti kusina mai hakuendwe. When you came in did I ever instruct anyone not to follow you? We know what you are afraid of. The problem is that such people surround themselves with foolish people," she said.
Dr Mugabe said as a mother, she had come to "panel beat" the revolutionary party as some people were losing direction.
"Those positions which you hold were given to you and you can be removed. It is possible," she said.
Dr Mugabe castigated a senior politician and his wife who were in the habit of selling party regalia which should be given for free.
"We know that you went to China and ordered containers of the regalia which you are selling. Stop it. You are using the President's name for corruption purposes. All those you sold the regalia to are coming back to you. Isa musoro wemurume wako tione kuti rinotengwa here," she said.
Dr Mugabe bemoaned the increase in the number of rape cases in the province, saying men were abusing "their God given instruments" instead of using them for procreation.
She said women and youths should be given land as promised, adding that people should desist from panning as this resulted in land degradation.
Dr Mugabe spoke highly on gold smuggling and value addition, saying this was the only way the country could fully benefit from its natural resources.
In remarks widely believed to be directed at Vice President Joice Mujuru, the First Lady urged her to approach President Mugabe and ask for forgiveness or risk being dumped because the President was fed up with her divisive activities.
Though the First Lady did not mention the female faction leader by name in her address, sources who attended a closed-door briefing with provincial leaders ahead of the rally said Dr Mugabe had mentioned the Vice President by name.
In her address, the First Lady accused the female faction leader of illicit diamond dealings, extorting shareholding in some companies, demanding 10 percent bribes and undermining the authority of President Mugabe in remarks which were punctuated by chants of "pasi neGamatox" from the fired up crowd.
"The person leading factions is the same person who accuses me of being involved in diamond deals, yet it is them that own a diamond mine," said Dr Mugabe.
"That person also moves around saying I want to acquire money using unscrupulous means when it is known that I started my businesses from scratch.
"It is that same person who goes around demanding 10 percent shareholding in companies. If you go to any company now, the name of that person is mentioned. You lead factions, you extort companies and you are involved in illicit diamond deals, so you cannot say you are not corrupt."
Dr Mugabe said the factionalism "demon" originated in Mashonaland Central, home to VP Mujuru, before spreading to other areas.
The First Lady said the moment of truth was beckoning for faction leaders and she had advised the President to dump them before they were rejected by the people at Congress.
"Ndakati ini kunaBaba baby-dumping munoiziva here? Vakati ehe. Ndakati munhu iyeye arikutungamira factionalism tirikuda kuti muite baby-dumping. Mukasamudumper isusu tichamudumper. Tichaita isu baby-dumping nekuti zvinodivider musangano (I told the President that if you do not dump that faction leader we will dump her ourselves)," said Dr Mugabe.
"Tonodumper mwana mustreet ogodyiwa nemagora nekuti kana takuita expose kana nhunzi chaidzo ukange wafa apo hadzidi kutombosvika padhuze newe nokuti dzinenge dzakutotya corruption iri pauri. Nhunzi chaidzo, kana imbwa chaidzo dzinenge dzakutotya kusvika padhuze (We will dump her in the streets and she will be eaten by vultures and no one will come close because of corruption)".
Dr Mugabe urged those involved in factionalism to apologise to the President or risk being abandoned by the people.
"Zvese zvekuti Gamatox tirikutaura madimikira, but richasvika zuva rekuti tichataura kuti taibvira ani.
"Some of you had chances (to lead) but you are doing harm to yourselves because of greediness," she said.
"Kana urikuzvinzwa nemaadvisor ako ikoko simuka uende kuna Baba Mugabe unoti zvandanga ndichiita ndasiya pasi ndachera chikomba ndisvipire (Go to the President together with your advisors and apologise)."
Dr Mugabe said those using money in the province risked being left alone because the "factionalism demon" had been exorcised in all the provinces she toured.
She said instead of working on programmes that benefited the people, faction leaders were busy sowing seeds of division.
Dr Mugabe said the female faction leader had been angered by her nomination to lead the Women's League, yet many people had also campaigned for her to be Vice President.
"We campaigned for you not only last year, but over the years, but now it is a war because I have been nominated," she said.
"I am the President's wife and I have influence and I am also able to talk to people like you do. I do not think anything good would come out if I mobilise people to go in the streets and dump you."
Dr Mugabe said some people took advantage because they were in leadership positions, resulting in some buying shares in newspapers for them to write bad articles about her.
"Iye munhu mukuru, mukadzi mukuru ndiye arikuorganiser vamwe vanhu kunotorera vanhu mugodhi wavo. This should end. You should draw wisdom from those who are capable not to going around gossiping," she said.
Those who live in glass houses, Dr Mugabe said, should not throw stones.
"We know there is factionalism and that there is one person who is leading, so if that person does not listen to what we are saying the moment of truth will come," she said.
"The youths even said to me that we should expose the person leading factions, but I told them to wait until the right time comes. When I came here people told me that they had been instructed not to welcome me. But whether or not you smile at me it does not matter."
Dr Mugabe said provincial youth chairpersons from Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland East had been instructed to snub her rallies.
"They were told not to follow me, but ndoda kuvaudza kuti kusina mai hakuendwe. When you came in did I ever instruct anyone not to follow you? We know what you are afraid of. The problem is that such people surround themselves with foolish people," she said.
Dr Mugabe said as a mother, she had come to "panel beat" the revolutionary party as some people were losing direction.
"Those positions which you hold were given to you and you can be removed. It is possible," she said.
Dr Mugabe castigated a senior politician and his wife who were in the habit of selling party regalia which should be given for free.
"We know that you went to China and ordered containers of the regalia which you are selling. Stop it. You are using the President's name for corruption purposes. All those you sold the regalia to are coming back to you. Isa musoro wemurume wako tione kuti rinotengwa here," she said.
Dr Mugabe bemoaned the increase in the number of rape cases in the province, saying men were abusing "their God given instruments" instead of using them for procreation.
She said women and youths should be given land as promised, adding that people should desist from panning as this resulted in land degradation.
Dr Mugabe spoke highly on gold smuggling and value addition, saying this was the only way the country could fully benefit from its natural resources.
Source - The Herald
