News / National
Mphoko, Mnangagwa appointments a farce
08 Jan 2015 at 07:30hrs | Views
MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has dismissed as a farce the recent appointment by President Robert Mugabe of Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko as his two deputies.
Mphoko and Mnangagwa were appointed vice presidents after the Zanu PF congress last December.
Mnangagwa replaced Joice Mujuru who was fired over allegations of trying to depose Mugabe.
"There have been changes in the leadership of both Zanu PF and the government by the appointment of two new Vice Presidents. Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko were added into the cockpit of both party and government," said Tsvangirai.
"It is simply a cosmetic change without any substantial impact on the direction of the country. The newly appointed Vice Presidents have their work clearly cut out for them. But predictably, they cannot extricate themselves from Mugabe's ruinous and disastrous legacy.
"They are entrapped in the same policy failure that has characterised Zanu PF governance culture in the past 35 years."
Tsvangirai said attempts have been made by Mnangagwa who is acting President and some of his
"acolytes", to brand themselves as reformists when in fact they are unrepentant hardliners.
"There are those who are so naïve as to believe that token changes in the cockpit can lead to realignment of our politics and that those token changes can spearhead a reform agenda," said the MDC-T leader.
"These are leaders who were not elected but appointed to their positions. They have no mandate from the people and will simply do Mugabe's bidding. If Mnangagwa were sincere about reform, he would have pushed for the implementation of the Constitution in his capacity as Minister of Justice and leader of government business in Parliament.
"Any leader who is keen on genuine reform would have prioritised the implementation of the people's charter endorsed by over three Zimbabweans in a referendum."
Tsvangirai went on, "These latest Mugabe appointees are desperate to brand themselves as different and yet we know they have little room to manoeuvre outside the dictates of the appointing authority.
"In the case of the acting President, he has a tainted record that Zimbabweans will never forget both in terms of his role in Gukurahundi, repression in the presidential runoff of 2008 as Minister of Defence and the electoral theft of 2013."
Mphoko and Mnangagwa were appointed vice presidents after the Zanu PF congress last December.
Mnangagwa replaced Joice Mujuru who was fired over allegations of trying to depose Mugabe.
"There have been changes in the leadership of both Zanu PF and the government by the appointment of two new Vice Presidents. Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko were added into the cockpit of both party and government," said Tsvangirai.
"It is simply a cosmetic change without any substantial impact on the direction of the country. The newly appointed Vice Presidents have their work clearly cut out for them. But predictably, they cannot extricate themselves from Mugabe's ruinous and disastrous legacy.
"They are entrapped in the same policy failure that has characterised Zanu PF governance culture in the past 35 years."
Tsvangirai said attempts have been made by Mnangagwa who is acting President and some of his
"acolytes", to brand themselves as reformists when in fact they are unrepentant hardliners.
"There are those who are so naïve as to believe that token changes in the cockpit can lead to realignment of our politics and that those token changes can spearhead a reform agenda," said the MDC-T leader.
"These are leaders who were not elected but appointed to their positions. They have no mandate from the people and will simply do Mugabe's bidding. If Mnangagwa were sincere about reform, he would have pushed for the implementation of the Constitution in his capacity as Minister of Justice and leader of government business in Parliament.
"Any leader who is keen on genuine reform would have prioritised the implementation of the people's charter endorsed by over three Zimbabweans in a referendum."
Tsvangirai went on, "These latest Mugabe appointees are desperate to brand themselves as different and yet we know they have little room to manoeuvre outside the dictates of the appointing authority.
"In the case of the acting President, he has a tainted record that Zimbabweans will never forget both in terms of his role in Gukurahundi, repression in the presidential runoff of 2008 as Minister of Defence and the electoral theft of 2013."
Source - Byo24News
