via Mugabe central in Zanu PF factional wars – NewsDay Zimbabwe November 28, 2015
FORMER Midlands governor Cephas Msipa has said President Robert Mugabe is central to the factional wars playing out in the Zanu PF party and the fights will not end without an orderly and predictable plan to transfer authority.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
The observations are contained in Msipa’s memoirs titled In Pursuit of Freedom and Justice launched on Thursday in the capital.
Mugabe, in power since Independence in 1980, has already been endorsed by sections in Zanu PF as the ruling party’s candidate for the 2018 elections despite his growing age and increasing frailty.
“I, therefore, maintain that the people of Zimbabwe deserve better institutional arrangements than are currently on offer. The Zanu PF constitution is a document of national interest that must be amended to allow for an orderly and predictable transfer of authority,” Msipa, who served as a Cabinet minister in different portfolios before quitting active politics, said.
“In all this, Robert Mugabe has the power to remove causes of factionalism in Zanu PF. That has been my call and it will remain my call.”
He said it was not clear how the party would judge if one has unbridled ambition to take over power from Mugabe, an accusation that caused the sacking of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru and other senior officials, including Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa, from both government and the party.
“Meanwhile, the party’s own methods are not crystal clear. For instance, how does one measure the extent of unbridled ambition when attempts by ambitious aspirants to position themselves strategically for the eventual succession are met with hostility?
“We need to find a way to reduce the tension in Zanu PF succession politics as well as in our body politic,” the sharp-tongued Msipa added.
He described the sudden fall of Mujuru and her allies as a bizarre replay of her dramatic ascendency to the position of VP in 2004.
Msipa, who at one point claimed to have talked to Mugabe to consider identifying a successor, also wrote about several other issues, including the genesis of the indigenisation concept, his upbringing and contribution to the country’s development and the political conflict in Matabeleland region that claimed almost 20 000 lives, among others. He also bemoaned the involvement of the military in elections where they threatened villagers so that they voted for Zanu PF.
Speaker after speaker spoke glowingly about the courage exhibited by Msipa in penning a frank account of his life.
“Dr Msipa’s book provides us politicians, policymakers, academics, students of history and committed Zimbabweans with a reflective mirror to review the moments that have defined the evolution of our nation’s political, economic and social realities over the past five decades,” Midlands State University lecturer Terrence Mashingaidze said.
Rugare Gumbo, spokesperson of People First, said Msipa was a well-respected politician whose title summed up the struggle that Zimbabweans were still going through 35 years after independence.
“We are happy that he sat down to write a book. He is honest and a respected person, unlike other corrupt politicians. I want to urge all our liberation fighters that they have a responsibility to tell Zimbabweans the truthful account of the liberation war,” he said.
“There is a lot of misinformation where someone, who was in her nappies by that time will try to tell us about the struggle. You can’t fool around saying all sorts of things about the struggle.”
COMMENTS
I read with lot of disbelief about the list of the most evil people that have been recorded and that I missed the name of Robert Gabriel Mugabe. The one on the top list was Vlad Dracula, Ivan The Terrible, Idi Amin, Josephy Stalin Adolf Hilter, Osama Bin Laden. The common thing about all these people is that they were dictators and that they are all dead. They killed their own people and killed those perceived to be their enemies either politically or in general life and that they eventually became leaders and live above the law.
I made my on comparison and I had this to say from the above article on Mugabe central to ZANU PF factional wars. Mugabe is still alive and behing him we have so much death and abuse of the human rights starting far back as the war times. The ZANLA were the only group of the 1970s war with the reputation of killing sellouts, witches and yet we had ZIPRA who also fought but nothing of that is document concerning the killings. After independence we have more than 3 political parties of black origin. ZAPU, ZANU and ZANU ndonga. All these were deem black and the two have leaders now dead, but both at some point accused of wanting to kill Mugabe. Why is Mugabe so paranoid of all people that they are after his life. How many people has he killed himself. Was he ever after anyone’s life. My answer is YES
Mujuru Solomon, was considered an enemy of Mugabe and that he Mugabe confessed that Solomon did not like him, Solomon did like Mugabe but when Mugabe was now a central point of the suffering of the majority. Joshua Nkomo never hated Mugabe, instead when Nkomo resigned from government because of the abuse of the people by Mugabe, then Nkomo became an enemy, that costed the lives of more than 20000 people during the period 1980-1987, after signing of unity accord, the worst mistake of our times.
In the early 1990s Tekere formed the ZUM and that was in direct retaliation to the one party state which Mugabe ever wanted as far back as 1960s according to some of his comrades. That dream never came to pass and now Tekere was standing in the way. behind Tekere were many teachers who considered that one party state was wrong. That marked the death of teaching profession. From that year the life of teachers became a living hell. many teachers were killed and displaced from their schools. Teachers salaries benefits were compromised from then up to now, why they opposed Mugabe. Ndangana was mistakenly for Tekere and die on his way from Mutare, cause of death accident.
Dumbutshena the first judge of the independent Zimbabwe formed a political party and Obey Mudzingwa a former UZ student SRC president. Dumbutshena died normal death, but Obey was trapped into a stationary Army military vehicle called Puma. The obvious killer is Mugabe.
Ncube Archbishop of Bulawayo was accused of may adultery cases by Mugabe, and was forced by Roman Catholic to leave the job, yet mugabe a confirmed jesuit and and roman catholic took someone’s wife and is married to the woman until now. Both Ncube and Goreraza are in exile now. Crime, you can not critise or stand in the way from what I want.
Learnmore Jongwe, Ndirai, Dazamara and others died for one thing in come, criticizing Mugabe. In my opinion Mugabe may even beat all the worst 6 evil man because he has caused similar death and suffering to innocent people for one reason, you want to stand in my way of presidency or joy. Popular people like Strive Masiwa, Mutumwa Mawere, James Makamba, all living in exile because they are in the lime light and not supporting Mugabe, they automatically became enemies. morgan Tsvangirai and other opposition are living by the thread of their teeth, their crime you oppose me. How many people have died simple because of opposing Mugabe or perceived to hate him, you can guess, but they exceed 25000 from 1975 to present. The worst case on Mugabe is that of all the previous evil guys he has managed to stay the longest in presidency and power. Many people recalls 20000 Ndebeles, 2000 Mdc supporters, Murambatsvina victims never recorded but more than 700000 became homeless, what about children who had to sleep in the cold for days, how many died. The Land invasion, white farmers, Freth and Gloria and their families. Those that die on their way to South Africa crossing flooded Limpopo running from misrule and collapsed economy. Documented Zimbabweans in SA are over 3 million, those that died or have to be separated from families.