Photo: Justin Mutenda/The Herald From left, Opah Muchinguri, Grace Mugabe and Absolom Sikhosana.[/caption]
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is facing an explosive Zanu PF internal revolt after his wife Grace yesterday escalated her insults and abuse of Vice-President Joice Mujuru to hysterical levels, amid indications the ruling party's leader has lost control to his seemingly panic-stricken spouse as things dramatically fall apart.
Insiders say if Mugabe does not restore order at today's critical politburo meeting and "shuts up" his wife, Zanu PF would descend into chaos and precariously edge towards a split which could have far-reaching consequences for him, security of tenure and party, as well as the country witnessing a potential civil strife caused by warring factions.
Taking over from where she left last week when she attacked Mujuru without naming her accusing of abuse of office, subversion, extortion, illicit underworld diamond dealings, blackmailing corporates to grab 10% equities and corruption.
Grace yesterday launched frenzied assaults and savaged her like someone in a trance, saying "Mai Mujuru must resign!"
Grace kept on warning Mujuru "stop it!" and insisting if Mugabe does not remove she will do so herself. She said "this woman" is a "liar", "corrupt" and "incompetent" as she sought to ensure Mujuru falls from grace to grass.
Addressing war veterans, party supporters and her high profile allies, including cabinet ministers, who were part of a dazed and bewildered crowd at her Mazowe farm which by different reactions, decibels of cheers and body language seemed divided as some were happy and other gloomy, Grace lambasted Mujuru saying she a corrupt, inept and a subversive element who wants to topple Mugabe through bribery, sabotage and other evil means in an address which lacked dignity and respect.
Grace said Mujuru was greedy and had wanted to grab the country's diamonds through African Consolidated Resources (ACR) plc, an AIM listed emerging mid-tier, multi-commodity, multi-jurisdictional development and mining company with a project portfolio covering gold, nickel, copper, phosphate and diamonds focusing on Zimbabwe. Its key focus is on the pickstone-peerless gold project in Zimbabwe.
Grace suggested Grace had lied to United Arab Emirates Ras al Khaimah leader, Sheikh Saud Bin al Qasimi who visited Harare last year about diamonds and gold.
"Instead of learning from the well of wisdom in Mugabe and instead of working with the president she decided she wanted power and wanted it immediately," said Grace.
"You are undermining the authority of the president. You are busy organising at night and lying during the day that you love him. She (Mujuru) must stop it. Stop it," Grace thundered.
She said she helped Grace in 2004 to become vice-president but she betrayed her.
"Amai ava havana chavakazoita nekuti (This woman has done nothing because) she spent her time eying the president's post. I don't see kuti vakakodzera kutungamira nyika ino (she is fit to rule this country).
"We know her capacity, where she starts and where she ends. Personally, I don't think she has capacity to be president. We know that you are incompetent. Mai Mujuru must resign!" she said amid cheers from a section of the crowd while some seemed low-spirited and disgusted.
Grace even joked to Zanu PF MP Joseph Chinotimba, saying Mujuru's post has become vacant and he should move in. That was after she confronted him asking if he was happy. At the beginning of her long tirade, she warned Mujuru's supporters to walk out as she was going to be spitting fire.
But while Grace literally took the gloves off after departing from her thinly-veiled attacks on Mujuru during her provincial rallies which ended last week to mention her name, insiders say there would be blood on the floor if Mujuru is removed unconstitutionally and unlawfully.
Zanu PF spokesman, Rugare Gumbo, said Mujuru would not resign as Grace demanded, warning that "no one" would push her out, before suggesting that there were some elements who wanted to destabilise and destroy the party from within. "She (Mujuru) is not going to resign. She remains Vice-President of the party until congress which will decide who it wants. She is the vice-president. No one can push her out," said Gumbo, a Mujuru ally. "As a party we have to identify forces that are trying to destabilise us and if identified they have to be dealt with severely."
The Zimbabwe Independent yesterday called Zanu PF provincial chairpersons who gave different answers, with some saying "no comment" and others not answering their calls.
War veteran leader, Jabulani Sibanda, who did not attend Grace's meetings yesterday, also warned there were elements in Zanu PF trying to destroy the party while pretending to be support Mugabe and his wife.
Senior Zanu PF officials say Mugabe must rein in his wife or face Armageddon.
"We want to know whether he gave his wife permission at act she pleases and also if he is still in charge or whether Grace is now running the party," one official said.
"Like (former Midlands governor Cephas) Msipa has been saying, Mugabe must explain what is going on."
Msipa was yesterday quoted by our sister paper Southern Eye, saying: "The First Lady has been going around the country insulting people. People are angry, people are bitter, party members are not happy with what she did.
"People from Bulawayo are likely to raise the issue on Friday (at the party's politburo meeting), after she accused them of dividing the party and being preoccupied with Zapu."
Asked yesterday about Grace's continued attacks, Msipa said he could speak on the eve of the politburo meeting.
However, Mujuru's allies privately say they are prepared to fight to a bitter end. "In what capacity is she speaking? Who is she in Zanu PF. Mujuru is the vice- president and second secretary of the party and can only be removed by congress," another official said. "This woman has gone too far."
Grace said if Mugabe did not "dump her" Mujuru "we will do it ourselves", blackmailing her husband over the issue.
She revealed relations between Mujuru and the First Family were so bad that she has since stopped visiting them.
"Instead of learning from the well of wisdom in Mugabe and instead of working with the president she decided she wanted power and wanted it immediately," said Grace.
Grace also claimed there were plans to assassinate her, but said she was not afraid to die for telling the truth. "They are saying they will kill me. But I say tell (Army Commander General Constantine Chiwenga) to bring a firing squad to pump bullets into me. But I will die with a smile because people will know the truth. It shows that one of us has no principles," she said.
Grace insisted Mujuru must go.
"Hanzi ini ndirikuda kuita president, why not, handisi mwana wemu Zimbabwe here? Hoiwe ndiwe wakakodzera nhai? Today we now say chizororai amai, vanogona vaenderere mberi. (She says I want to be president but why not, am I not a Zimbabwean? We say go and rest, and let those who are competent continue."
She blasted Mashonaland East province chairman Ray Kaukonde, saying he is a "Mujuru agent, manje ndakamumaka (I hate him) big time. Ikokaye ndikokane (that small man has a) demon. It will come out," she said before alleging Kaukonde paid youths US$75 each to heckle her in Morondera last week.
"Mai Mujuru's combination with Kaukonde is pathetic, she surrounds herself with political prostitutes," Grace said as she claimed the vice-president is an opposition-inclined traitor and saboteur who wants to usurp power from Mugabe, and must as a result go.
*Source Allafrica]]>
Photo: Justin Mutenda/The Herald
