Did Mugabe subtly reprimand Grace?

President Robert Mugabe yesterday denounced factionalism in his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and urged women and youths to work together and abide by the party principles. He also said women and youths had lost direction and this would derail the party if it was allowed to prevail.

“Tanga tanzveyama and party yanga yaakuda kurasika. Saka mayouth akarasika tatoenda. Madzimai akapengerekawo tatoenda. Saka mawings iwayo anosungirwa kusimbaradzwa pave neunity. Nyaya yekutukana, zvikwata zviri kutukana takati pasi nazvo. Tive vanhu vakabatana nokuti igwara rimwe chete. Ko, chatirwadza chii vanhu vakatiratidza 2013 kuti vari shure kwedu zvakasimba simba?” he said.

It was not clear whether his comment on women was directed at the party’s women league which is headed by his wife or  at his wife-personally as she has been under attack for going overboard at her last rally in Chiweshe where she literally shot down Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

There has been persistent reports that Mugabe was under pressure to rein in his wife following the Chiweshe rally.

The only other woman who has been in the news recently castigating senior party officials was Sarah Mahoka who publicly denounced "her brother" Emmerson Mnangagwa and asked him to cool down his presidential ambitions.

Speaking at his 92^nd birthday at the Great Zimbabwe near Masvingo, Mugabe, however, also blasted the youths for disrespecting his wife.

“Mukaona vana vadiki, hamheno vanenge vaputa mbanje here vadhakwa, vaakutsoropodza madzibaba kusvika mukutsoropodza vakuru vemusangano. Zvinotonyadza matsoropodzerwe ari kuitwa Amai Mugabe, mudzimai waPresident, zvichiiswa kunaana Aljazeera, zvichiiswa mumarecords zvichitoimbwa.Kuitira ani? Vavengi vangave vanani vasvika pakati pedu?,” he was quoted in a transcript of his speech by the Sunday Mail.

Mugabe admitted that there was bitter infighting in his party but urged the youths to correct things.

“So, tinoti we will give you support, all the support you need within the party for us to correct ourselves and correct our direction,” he said.

Mugabe accused the West of fanning factionalism in his party claiming that they had poured in huge sums money to individuals within the party to cause factionalism. It was not clear whether these individuals were senior party official because he said the genesis of factionalism was coming from senior party members.

“The British and Americans, in their cunning ways, have also utilised the opportunity to offer huge sums of money to individuals both within and outside the party so as to cause factionalism which has greatly affected the youth, especially of the recent past. Factionalism, factionalism and, I repeat, factionalism has no space. It has no place at all in our party, ZANU-PF,” he said.

“It should never be allowed to exist because we have a platform for discussion, a platform for pitting one idea against another and for entertaining even views which are negative. We examine them and throw them out if we don’t see any merit in them. So, let us use that principle and take advantage of that principle, sitting down to discuss our differences. They call it the principle of dialogue. We should remain united and use proper channels to solve our differences.

“The genesis of factionalism seems to be coming from the senior party members, the so-called political gurus who are using the youths in pursuit of their own evil interests, taking advantage of the challenges facing the youths today.”

See also:

Mugabe gets a fillip for his 92nd birthday from SA organisation

What Insider readers said about Rugare Gumbo’s comment that Mugabe’s biggest blunder was marrying Grace

What makes Mugabe tick?

Mugabe’s biggest blunder

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