Tag Archives: Former president Robert Mugabe

Politics, SADC

‘I’m not an idiot,’ Mugabe tells Mnangagwa as tensions escalate

Maravi Post Reporter

Harare – Zimbabwean former leader Robert Mugabe, 94, has reportedly expressed his bitterness over the “way he was toppled”, saying he is not ready for talks with his successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Mugabe said this as the rift between him and Mnangagwa was said to be “escalating”.

According to the privately-owned
Standard newspaper , Mugabe vowed that he would never negotiate with Mnangagwa to find “common ground”.

Mugabe’s 37-year rule came to an end on November 15 following a military operation, which some praised as a “bloodless correction”.

The nonagenarian was in the news recently, with reports saying that he was backing a new party called the National Patriotic Front (NPF) led by former cabinet minister Ambrose Mutinhiri.

Mutinhiri, a veteran of the 1970s war against white minority rule, met Mugabe a few weeks ago before announcing he had formed the new political outfit.

The Standard quoted Mutinhiri over the weekend as saying it that he did not see Mugabe and Mnangagwa “smoking the peace pipe” together.

Mutinhiri reportedly cited Mugabe as saying: “ED (Mnangagwa) thinks I am an idiot.

“How does he think I believe their claim that they are about upholding the legacy of the president, my legacy, when I’m down because of them and when they have been dragging me in the mud?

“People, especially in Zanu-PF, want honest holders of the legacy of the president and they condemn hypocrisy, they condemn military brutality against the people.

“ED says he wants me to endorse him, what will I be endorsing? Hypocrisy? Brutality against the people?

This came as the privately-owned Daily newspaper said over the weekend that a former minister in Mugabe’s government had persuaded the veteran politician to meet with Mnangagwa in a bid to settle issues.

The deal, the report said, involved bringing Mugabe as a ruling party “elder” to back Mnangagwa.

“The deal involves Mugabe settling into the rhythm of private life as a hero of the revolution and father of his country, and embracing the Mnangagwa administration and coming to terms with it as well as giving it stability and direction when asked,” the report said.

Politics, Regional, Top News

Zimbabwe’s ruling party fires warning shots at Mugabe

Maravi Post Reporter

Zimbabwe’s ruling party and its allies have warned former president Robert Mugabe not to “rock the boat”, a day after he was reported to have met with the country’s newest opposition leader.

Mugabe has been accused of backing a new party called the National Patriotic Front led by former cabinet minister Ambrose Mutinhiri who visited Mugabe at his home on Sunday.

“To us, it’s a bunch of failures trying to come back into politics,” Zanu-PF youth leader Pupurai Togarepi told the private Daily News.

Mutinhiri, an ex-soldier and war veteran who is said to be related to Mugabe, quit the ruling Zanu-PF last week over his objection to last year’s military takeover that unseated Mugabe.

Togarepi said any attempt by Mugabe to destabilise his former party would be met with a “storm”.
“If he (Mugabe) decides to rock the boat and then his actions affect the stability of the party… he should be ready for the storm to come… we will not be soft with him,” Togarepi said.

A top official of the war veterans’ association accused the 94-year-old Mugabe of being “misguided”.
“Remember he walked away when he did not deserve to walk away a free man,” said Victor Matemadanda, in reference to the impeachment by parliament that Mugabe narrowly escaped on November 21 by handing in his resignation.

“He was supposed to be sentenced to prison but the people of Zimbabwe forgave him but now we are seeing that he does not have a culture of appreciation,” he added

Malawi, Politics, Regional, Top News

Zimbabwe: Ruling Zanu PF will not win elections- Mugabe

Maravi Post Reporter

Former president Robert Mugabe on Sunday opened up about his ouster last year by the army, disclosing for the first time that some people were allegedly killed and others tortured as the 94-year-old politician piled up pressure on his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

According allfrica.com news, Mugabe told close relatives and friends at a private birthday party at his Harare mansion, known as Blue Roof, that the army chose to side with Mnangagwa in what was essentially a Zanu PF dispute.

He disclosed that Mnangagwa had called him yesterday requesting that they meet urgently to discuss his situation but the deposed Zanu PF leader vowed to tell it as it is. This will be the first meeting between the two since Mugabe’s ouster.

Before narrating events leading to the dramatic military takeover on November 15 and his life after leaving office, Mugabe asked “the weak” to leave the venue as he was about to give graphic details of the fierce power struggles.

“Those who are afraid please leave. This is an important issue and I will not mince my words,” the former Zanu PF leader said.

He said Mnangagwa wanted to meet him on his return from a state visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

It was not immediately clear when the president will leave for the DRC.

“He told me this morning that he was going to the DRC where he has been invited by (President Joseph) Kabila, the son of the late leader Laurent Kabila,” he said.

He requested for a meeting and said he will bring along other leaders so that we could talk.

“I said well, you can come. And he said he will do so when he returns from the DRC,” added Mugabe.

Mugabe promised not to hold back during the meeting with Mnangagwa, saying the new rulers need to know that the takeover of power with the help of the military was illegal and detrimental to democracy.

“I will tell them the truth that what you did was illegal. You abused the people, beat up people,” he told the crowd that was stunned into silence. I know you were told not to talk about this, but I will say it because it is the truth.

“People were injured, some were killed. They came here with bruises; some with their heads injured, and told us that some of them had been killed. I will tell them the truth,” he said.

He said Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who was the army commander at the time, took sides with Mnangagwa in the Zanu PF factional wars and “rolled out tanks against the people.”

“Because we had a misunderstanding with one of my vice-presidents, Emmerson, the army with Chiwenga decided to take out tanks into the streets. This is not what we fought for,” he charged.

Mugabe said during the negotiations with the military commanders after they had placed him under house arrest, they claimed that people were on the streets demanding his ouster.