First Lady Grace Mugabe yesterday told the nation that Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa whom she is allegedly at loggerheads with is in fact her best friend who has been sharing things with her even before she became the First Lady.
She told a rally in Mberengwa: “Ndanga ndichiti vanhu vanoda kuabuser VaMnangagwa neni. VaMnangagwa is my close friend, my best friend. Kubva kudhara ndisati ndatombonzi First Lady ndichidya matomatoes kubva kwavari. Vachinditumira zvinhu kuState House, ini ndichivapawo mapotatoes nemanhanga. Handityi kudya zvinhu zvinobva kwaVaMnangagwa. I have respect for this man.”
Media reports claim that Grace Mugabe is allegedly trying to topple Mnangagwa at the party conference in December. The conference is normally not an elective gathering but a review meeting of progress made during the year and what needs to be done the following year.
Mnangagwa who was present at the rally confirmed that leadership was only elected at a congress.
The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front held its last congress last year. The next one should be held in 2019, a year after the next national elections.
The party can, however, call an extra-ordinary congress as it did in 2007 when a group from Mashonaland East led by former army commander Solomon Mujuru refused to endorse party leader Robert Mugabe as the presidential candidate for the next elections but failed to kick him out at the extra ordinary congress.
Grace Mugabe said she was privileged to be the First Lady and Secretary for the Women’s league and therefore sat it the party’s politburo otherwise she was way down in the party hierarchy.
“Ndingoriwo neprivilege yekuti kana tichigara muPolitburo ndinogarawo kumberi navo chete. Ndoprivilege yandinayo iyoyo otherwise ndiri pasi-pasi apo ini. Ndiri mutsva muZANU-PF. Vanhu vari kungotaura zvisipo. Ndichiri kudzidza. Ndinoda kudzidza. Ndinoda kudzidziswa. Ndange ndichitaurira nababa VaMnangagwa nababa VaMphoko kuti ndidzidzisei makabva kure imi. Mune experience yandisina inini. I want to learn from you,” she was quoted by The Herald as saying.
“President Mugabe ndivo President. Vice President mutevedzeri wavo. Makambonzwa rimwe zuva baba vakaenda (outside the country) ndikasara, makambonzwa kuti amai ndivo varikuactor? Haa, nonsense mhani! Hatidi kutaura zvisina nebasa rese.
“Constitution yenyika ina President pamusoro, kwakuenda maVice President — kuna VaMnangagwa kwozouya VaMphoko. Ataura Kasukuwere pano zvinonzwika. Ndovatungamiri vedu. Nyangwe nhasi zvikanzi Mugabe arwara, Constitution inotaura kuti ava (VP Mnangangwa) kana kuti vanga vagere apa (VP Mphoko) ndivo vanofano kubata tsvimbo. Hapana pakanyorwa kuti nekuti ini ndiri mukadzi wavo, ndinosheya mubhedha navo, ndinodya mundiro navo, hapana pakanyorwa kuti Mai Mugabe ndivo vanoita take over. Tiri vanhu vemutemo. Tinotevedzera mitemo. Ndiri munhu akadzidza mhani ini. Ndinonzi Dr Mugabe ini! Ndinoverenga Constitution ndichinzwisisa. Vanoda kundiita sechimunhu chisina zvachinoziva. Handiite usurp mapowers evanhu.”
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