via We gave Mugabe free rein: Gumbo – The Zimbabwe Independent 19 December 2014 by Owen Gagare
FORMER Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo, who was expelled from the party just before its recent sixth congress, says he and other senior party officials hounded out of the party are partly to blame for their misfortune as they allowed President Robert Mugabe to dictate the pace of events and direction of the party without a challenge.
Gumbo, who said Zanu PF had emerged from the congress weaker following the purging of senior officials, including former Vice-President Joice Mujuru, however said he had no regrets over his expulsion.
He was expelled by the party’s most powerful organ outside congress, the central committee, on allegations of throwing Zanu PF into disrepute after he continued criticising Mugabe following his five-year suspension last month.
He was suspended after being accused of being part of a plot to assassinate Mugabe alongside other senior officials sympathetic to Mujuru such as secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and politburo member Nicholas Goche. Gumbo was also accused of speaking on behalf of the Mujuru faction and advancing his own agenda rather than presenting the party’s position. “We have to accept blame for what is happening,” he said.
“We have been too quiet for too long. We were hoping that there would be an improvement; that the party would be rejuvenated but that has not happened even after the congress.”
Gumbo said he would remain loyal to the revolution and not necessarily Zanu PF leaders and would thus continue speaking his mind.
“How can I be a loyal to Zanu PF leaders when I have been thrown out?” he said, when asked if he remains committed to the party and its leadership.
“I am loyal to the revolution. I will speak about what is unjust and undesirable in the society. I am not quitting politics.
“I consider what has happened to be part of a circus or mahumbwe (child’s play) because serious leaders don’t behave in such a manner.”
Gumbo said although he was thrown out of the party on the basis of “outright lies”, he was not bitter but gobsmacked.
He said he would watch events in Zanu PF from the terraces while taking time to reflect on what has been transpiring.
Gumbo said after the congress he hoped Mugabe and his supporters’ energy would be channelled towards reviving the economy which he said had been negatively affected by the long-drawn succession battle in Zanu PF. “The main issue is the economy. It is the heaviest casualty of the infighting. Companies are closing and retrenching, there is a severe liquidity crunch, people have no money,” he said.
“We needed to concentrate our energy on that and that’s what still needs to be done.”
After congress Mugabe dismissed Mujuru and eight ministers deemed loyal to her.
The casualties were Didymus Mutasa (presidential affairs), Webster Shamu (ICT), Nicolas Goche (labour), Dzikamai Mavhaire and his deputy Munacho Mutezo (energy), Olivia Muchena (higher education), Francis Nhema (indigenisation) and Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (Provincial Affairs for Mashonaland East).
Indications are that Mugabe will reshuffle his cabinet again in January where he is likely to drop more ministers aligned to Mujuru.
COMMENTS
You have become the news Rugare.Every time you speak people get relieved to read the facts, rather than trash in some gvt controlled media.You are fearless and the masses have grown to love you.Any fight against Mugabe is a fight for the people.They can kill but facts don’t die.Bravo wezhira
Rugare “fearless” he is enjoying payment for life-long bootlicking.
It is very strange how Gumbo and all his compatriots thrown out of Mugabe’s government have suddenly waken up to the grim reality that ordinary Zimbabweans have faced for more than a decade!
Am happy he confesses that the situation has deteriorated so badly because they had ‘ been too quiet for too long’.
How can you not be quiet when you are on the gravy train enjoying the loot at the expense of the poor masses?
Why is Gumbo complaining now that he has been thrown off the gravy train? They kept too quiet for too long because they were too happy enjoying the loot at the expense of the poor masses!
Keep talking Gumbo. We need more politicians with your newly found voice and confidence, whether Zanu, MDC, etc. Better late than never. Preach good political conduct so others may realize that getting into politics should be about sacrifice for the well-being of the masses, and not about, self-enrichment that we have witnessed over the years.
I wonder why the “Zimbos” are so passive? How on earth do you allow a 90 years old man with a “CHEESE-HEAD” and his good-for-nothing “HUSBAND-SNATCHER” wife (Dis-Grace) to lead you to eternal destruction? I keep asking myself if it was even wise for Africans to fight for independence from their colonia masters?
Well said.What can Mugabe do at 91 which he couldn’t do all these years, indeed?
Never believe in these ‘disgruntled Mugabe conspirators’.The old order should change and give way to a new! The fear to try something new has tied Zimbabwe down to a “failed nonagerian ‘holotics'”!
VaRugare zhezheudzai tiwane rug are .Yambiro ndeyekuti diro haririndiswe minds wemagwere rinopedza ESE kana kutodzinga varidzi vemunda.
Gumbo – you have 2 choices in your ‘new’ life: either shut up completely or you tell us how all the diamonds and the money were stolen by naming names and dates and also telling us ALL the people involved in the theft of the 2013 elections, plus many more stories that you ‘faithfully’ commented on saying that nothing was out of the ordinary. Tell us how many farms you have and how many people do you employ on the farms that you own (at least 2 farms) and do you employ a European farmer to farm your land. If you don’t want to tell us any of those things, then I suggest you just shut your mouth and go and till your land yourself. You are a thief just like all your bosses, especially like that old donkey called Mugabe.
How unfortunate that you the CIO the new handlers of Zimbabwe Situation refuse to publish my comment. Shame on you.
Rugare must be forgiven because he has confessed and accepted reponsibility for our mess. Adzoka mugwara renyika. Adzizda dzidzo yake nyangwe zvazvo the hard way. Ngaatichibatsirawo neinteligence yekuti chokwadi chibude uye kuti titore nyika yedu back.