Top stories September 6-10

What is Mnangagwa not telling us?– Elections to choose members of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front presidium, which comprises the president, his two deputies and the national chairman- will be held by secret ballot this year, the Sunday Mail said. But Secretary for Legal Affairs Emmerson Mnangagwa said this is what the party has been doing since 1963. So what did the Sunday Mail miss? Or what is Mnangagwa, who is reported to be one of the faction leaders, not telling us? There has been a lot of squabbling within the ruling party as people jostle to position themselves for the three top posts- those of the two vice-presidents and national chairman-which are all said to be open. The party presidency is reportedly already taken by Mugabe, but it might be early days yet, because there could even be more chaos if Mugabe announced that he is not contesting now. Ironically, Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa and party spokesman Rugare Gumbo, both refused to comment.

Mutsvangwa says province cannot suspend him
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Christopher Mutsvangwa today said the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front Mashonaland West province cannot suspend him because President Robert Mugabe and the party politburo had lifted all suspensions. “The Politburo met last week and the President came out clearly that no more suspensions until Congress in December. That decision supersedes everything, so I would rather listen to what the Politburo and the supreme leader of the party said instead of the rantings of a junior party official. If he is not happy about the decision made by the President and the Politburo then he should resign from the chairmanship and the party,” he said referring to provincial chairman Themba Mliswa. Mutsvangwa was suspended together with Hurungwe North legislator Reuben Marumahoko at a provincial executive committee meeting for allegedly failing to attend some meetings.

Report us correctly- Moyo
Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo has called on the media to report accurately. “I want to request our colleagues from the media to report us correctly. No sensationalism. We are very factual people. We see a lot of happenings in the Press these days. I don’t think that’s really necessary if we are to build our country. Nobody else will do it for us except ourselves. Unless somebody has got some other agenda, I don’t know, but we don’t want agendas, we are looking for development. Please let us write things which build our country. We have only one Zimbabwe. If this country burns, it’s not that you journalists will be spared, you will also burn. Let’s not create things which aim at destroying our country. So, I hope that we shall see you promoting good ideas from great leaders and building unity around it.”

Even sellouts are war veterans- Chinotimba
Buhera South Member of Parliament Joseph Chinotimba says there is need to distinguish true war veterans from the rest because even sellouts during the Ian Smith regime were war veterans. Contributing to the motion on the criteria for the conferment of heroes’ status, Chinotimba said: “When we talk of war veterans, people should not refer to us only. Even during the Smith regime, there were war veterans. Sellouts were war veterans. Mr. Speaker Sir, there are categories of war veterans who participated in our liberation struggle. “People should understand the war veterans who are referred to in the War Veterans Act. Those are the people who sacrificed their families to go and join the liberation struggle for this country to enjoy a black majority rule. Even those who were trained here in Zimbabwe were not left out.” Chinotimba said true heroes were the ones that raised the Zimbabwean flag high. One did not necessarily have to have fought in the liberation struggle only. “There is a hero (who) fought against these sanctions, even if you were to stand up and denounce sanctions, you will be a hero,” he said. Chinotimba said one did not have to belong to the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to be a national hero. He cited the example of Edgar Tekere who left ZANU-PF to form the Zimbabwe Unity Movement but now lies at Heroes’ Acre and said Zimbabwe African People’s Union leader Dumiso Dabengwa was a hero. “Dabengwa is a war veteran, he is a hero. There is no question about it,” he said.

ZANU yaora, mahure, MDC sings
Parliament today turned into a circus as Members of the Movement for Democratic Change broke into song “ZANU yaora baba, mahure. ZANU yaora baba, mahure” in response to a song by Makoni South MP Mandi Chimene “kusiya amai nababa vachichema taenda, kana neniwo zvandinetsa amai, zvandinetsa vakomana”. Ironically this was during a motion to discuss the provision of resources to upgrade historic shrines in memory of Zimbabwe’s fallen heroes introduced by Chegutu West MP Dextor Nduna. Nduna wanted the shrines upgraded to acknowledge the selfless sacrifice made by the brave sons and daughters of Zimbabwe who gave their lives during the Chimurenga and national liberation struggle. He was appalled by the state of dilapidation and neglect and the continued deterioration of liberation war shrines in neighbouring countries, among them, Freedom Camp and Mulungushi in Zambia and Chimoio and Nyadzonia in Mozambique. He said that while the shrines which are embodiment of the selfless spirit of the liberation struggle lie desolate and neglected, Cecil John Rhodes’s grave which is an embodiment of the selfish spirit of colonialism which culminates in the massacre of these brave sons and daughters is an immaculately maintained tourist attraction.

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