'Mphoko is uneducated and a 'petty tribalist', says Mutsvangwa

FORMER Cabinet Minister and war veterans chairperson Chris Mutsvangwa has hit out at Vice president Phelekezela Mphoko, describing him as uneducated and a war deserter "given to uninformed vanity, parochial regionalism and petty tribalism".

Mutsvangwa said Mphoko does not think on his own, but takes advice from "another war deserter Prof Jonathan Moyo whom he idolises to shocking levels". He described the pair "as indeed two birds of shared cowardice in the national liberation war".

Further, the war vets leader said Mphoko "is mentally inebriated by a cocktail of stunted ambition, crass ignorance, morbid paranoia and compulsive dependence on Jonathan Moyo and his G40 agenda".

Mphoko and the war vets have been engaged in an increasingly bitter ding dong as the ruling Zanu-PF party's succession war continues.

Mutsvangwa was responding after Mphoko said the war vets leader, his deputy Headman Moyo, Douglas Mahiya (spokesperson) and secretary general Victor Matemadanda were engaging in treasonous conduct.

The vice president spoke after the war vets held a meeting in the Midlands province where they openly endorsed vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa as the "only succession candidate" and demanded the expulsion of Mphoko and his allies from the ruling party.

Mphoko is said to be one of the heavies in the so-called G40 Zanu-PF faction which reportedly includes first lady Grace Mugabe and cabinet ministers such as Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere.

The group is said to be determined to stop a Mnangagwa succession, but what remains unclear is their choice for Zimbabwe's next leader after the 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe with Grace affecting disinterest in the job.

In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, Mutsvangwa said, unlike Mphoko, he was chairman of war veterans' association and was elected to champion and defend his constituency of "heroic freedom fighters".

"President Mugabe and Vice president Mnangagwa fall under that ambit, Mphoko has challenges because he went AWOL from ZIPRA military operations after ZIPA collapsed in 1976," said Mutsvangwa.

"I have it on good record that the late national hero Akim Ndhlovu, founder and consistent commander of ZIPRA, said as much to him (Mphoko) in Maputo during the struggle.

Mutsvangwa mocked Mphoko saying the VP preferred to enjoy wedding parties with Jacob Zuma as best man in leafy Maputo suburbs while other "comrades were in the midst of blazing battles at the front as they fought Ian Smith".

"He (Mphoko) went on to live a happy married life in Mozambique while other regrouped ZIPRA comrades fought from Zambia.

"He did not join ZANLA in the Mozambique-based military operations."

Mutsvangwa said it was shocking that the vice president "did not bother to utilise the time he was enjoying in Mozambique to further his studies … when bursaries were galore for freedom fighters".  

"He (Mphoko) did not bother to use the AWOL time to further his education as other comrades did at Edward Mondlane University during his marital sojourn in Maputo.

"He also failed to similarly go back to school after independence notwithstanding the new educational opportunities.

The row between the rival Zanu-PF actions escalated last week after minutes of the war veterans meeting in Gweru were leaked to the media.

Mutsvangwa accused Prof Moyo and Mphoko of concocting the leaked record of the meeting which was attended by the war veterans national executive and provincial executives.