Mujuru tried to 'bribe' Grace Mugabe with $10,000

FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday said Vice President Joice Mujuru did not deserve a day longer in office because she was corrupt and incompetent.

Mujuru had risen beyond her capabilities and should now vacate her station, the First Lady told thousands of war veterans and senior government officials who gathered at her children's home in Mazowe yesterday to support her elevation to lead the Zanu-PF Women's League.

Despite her unbridled ambition, Mujuru had reached her ceiling, the First Lady said.

"We know her capabilities and we know those who can reach President Mugabe's levels and she isn't one of them," she said.

"In my view, I don't think she is fit to lead this great country. One, she survives on extortions and does not want to work for herself. Two, she wants to grab power from the President illegally. Three, all minerals you declare that they're yours and four, you're incompetent."

The First Lady said the British and Americans had decided to destroy Zanu-PF by working with elements within the party like Mujuru.

"They saw that she is unscrupulous, she's someone without principles and they wanted to use someone from within the party," she said. "She was given money and some things to give people. You saw that money being used during the Youth Conference. Have you ever seen the President doing that, coming down to the cell level to organise people, imposing people?"

She said VP Mujuru was plotting against President Mugabe day and night and was using people like Zanu-PF Mashonaland East chairman Ray Kaukonde to achieve her ambitions.

"She has her agents that she uses like Kaukonde. Kaukonde is in my sights, I'm targeting him big time. I said that the factionalism demon started in Mashonaland Central, and this Kaukonde also has that demon. That demon will come out. Kaukonde is Mujuru's runner, he gets told to go to such and such a company and demand 10 percent (shareholding). He takes that money and buys our people," she blasted.

The First Lady revealed that Vice President Mujuru duped the ruler of Ras al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud Al Qasimi, of millions of dollars in a botched diamonds deal and engaged in other sordid deals for her personal benefit.

She said VP Mujuru engaged in many other illicit deals by abusing her office. Apart from duping Sheikh Al Qasimi, VP Mujuru also holds shareholding in Africa Consolidated Resources, a company she wanted to use to plunder diamonds at Marange.

The First Lady promised to divulge more of VP Mujuru's corrupt deals in the near future, saying she had only told "a quarter" of her nefarious activities.

"They formed a company called ACR for them to loot diamonds, gold and every mineral in Zimbabwe," she said. "Their efforts were rejected in 2006 when the government said diamonds belonged to Zimbabweans and not one family. Recently, she brought a man from the United Arab Emirates, who had been lied to and told to buy shares in ACR on the pretext that it had diamond claims. Some $10 million was exchanged, and I guess that's the money we see being splashed around," the First Lady charged.

"She lied in the full knowledge that diamonds are for the state. What sort of human being does that?"

She said the VP entered into the arrangements as a way of raising money to fund her ambitions to succeed President Mugabe.

VP Mujuru exchanged visits with Sheikh Al Qasimi last year and a number of memoranda of understanding in the areas of energy, mining and pharmaceuticals were signed. But nothing has materialised from the visits.

Further, the First Lady said VP Mujuru owned 10 percent shareholding in Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe, the publishers of the Daily News that has been at the forefront of attacking her.

She said the newspaper was being used to tarnish her image.

"Did you know that she holds 10 percent shareholding in the Daily News? That's why you see the newspaper writing negatively about Grace Mugabe every day. I don't know if they see me as a toilet, that when they want to do a dump they just run there," she said.

The First Lady said she had been quiet for too long, but had now decided to reveal the Vice President's underhand dealings.

"I never wanted to go public in this way, but the way she has treated me has pushed me to the edge. I'll stop here because your eardrums will burst if we've to catalogue all of this woman's shenanigans," she said.

She described the VP as an extortionist and dared her to publicly deny the allegations.

"Let her come here and deny, let's see. Is this the behavior of someone who wants to rule this country? That's extortion. You go and threaten people because of your position, blackmailing people saying if you don't sign up to this then you're not going to be allowed in Zimbabwe. The white people, some of whom we repossessed land from, they had companies which they started. We also have indigenisation – Mujuru and her family are there. I'm telling you what I know. We don't want that, and above all, you're undermining the authority of the Head of State organising at night. When you see him in the day, you lie that you love him, when you're lying. She must stop it!"

She said rowdy youths in Mashonaland East had been paid $75 each last Friday to disrupt her Meet the People rally in Marondera.

VP Mujuru, the First Lady said, wanted to bribe her by donating $10,000 to Danhiko last month where the First Lady is the patron.

"She said I want to raise money for you. I said I don't want hand-outs. I borrow from the bank if I need money. I just saw an envelope with $10,000, trying to bribe me with money. I can't be bribed," she said.