Mugabe is a dictator, says Mavhaire

Former Zanu-PF politburo member Dzikamai Mavhaire has slammed President Robert Mugabe labelling him a "dictator who listens to no one".

Mavhaire - famed for openly telling Mugabe nearly two decades ago to step down - told the Joice Mujuru-led Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party supporters at Nketa Hall, Bulawayo, over the weekend that Zimbabweans desperately needed a new political dispensation.

"Many will question Mujuru's credibility on the basis that she was once with Zanu-PF, therefore she contributed to the fall of the economy, but for those in the know, they will tell you if you have a leader who is a dictator, even if you tell him that this is wrong, he won't listen," Mavhaire said.

"If you go to Tanzania, you ask John Magufuli that you were there when Nyerere and Ujamaa destroyed the country and now you are making the roundabout turn, he will tell you that if the leader is a dictator he won't listen to anybody except himself," the former Energy minister said.

As a result, Mavhaire - ZPF's interim national organiser - said there was nothing much Mujuru could have done under the "dictatorial" wings of Mugabe.

Mavhaire, who was hounded out of Zanu-PF on allegations of fanning factionalism and trying to topple Mugabe, challenged Mugabe to "stop telling us rubbish" about his prolonged stay in power.

"Leaders must know that they should hand over power to others, it doesn't matter who you are. If your time is up goodbye, don't tell us stories like who can I hand over to because those near me do not have the capacity to handle people," Mavhaire said.

"That is a direct manifestation of failure to work with other people so Mugabe must stop telling us rubbish. He must just go," he declared.

He added: "I personally have 18 years fighting Mugabe and at one point, I went to exile for six months after my fight with him, so all what is needed is consistence and persistence."

The tough-talking Mavhaire, however, urged party followers to take Mugabe head-on as he was the people's enemy.

"Our mission is to take power from Mugabe and his Zanu-PF and the whole system; we should know who we are fighting. It's Mugabe and his government. He is our enemy number one," said the Masvingo-based politician.

Mavhaire further dismissed repeated claims by Zanu-PF that sanctions imposed by the western countries on Zimbabwe had a bearing on the performance of the economy.

"You should not be told about sanctions as having contributed to the fall of the economy. Yes, sanctions are there but how have they led to the closure of most of companies here? If you have policies that have failed you should admit. Mugabe's policies have long failed, we need a new chapter."

Meanwhile, ZPF welcomed former PDP national deputy chairman Watchy Sibanda together with 10 other members from Matabeleland South province to the party at a private function at Dombodema Village in Bulilima West over the weekend.

"This is yet another milestone in our journey to build a truly inclusive and rooted movement to attain power and bring change to Zimbabwe in 2018," Methuseli Moyo, interim national chairperson for information and publicity sub-committee said.