via Zanu PF Savages Tsvangirai, MDC – DailyNews Live 24 May 2015 by Lloyd Mbiba
HARARE – Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday savaged opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and the MDC at a rally in Harare, while bragging that God was allegedly on Zanu PF’s side.
The Zanu PF strongman, who is sometimes referred to as the Son of God or Son of Man by his staunch supporters — among them Psychomotor minister Josiah Hungwe claimed that his party was in God’s heart.
“Let me tell you this, God loves Zanu PF,” he said. “God gave us countries and we were given Zimbabwe.
“When we had won our independence, the British funded the MDC to remove us from power. In 2008 they almost removed us from power but God refused and said no, Mnangagwa told party supporters in Harare’s Dzivaresekwa high density suburb.
“God intervened and we are still ruling. Look now we are going to win by-elections. God indeed loves Zanu PF.”
The MDC came within a whisker of forming the next government after winning the hotly contested 2008 elections in which Tsvangirai beat President Robert Mugabe in the first round of the presidential poll.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) withheld the results of the ballot for six weeks, raising suspicions that the inordinate delay had allowed Zanu PF to manipulate the poll and deny Tsvangirai victory.
Tsvangirai subsequently pulled out of the ensuing run-off ballot, citing violence and massive intimidation, which left Mugabe to participate alone in a widely discredited election.
But Mnangagwa appeared oblivious to all this, going on to heap praise on God for having “intervened” and saved Zanu PF.
He tore into Tsvangirai for having refused to participate in the pending June 10 by-elections which came after the MDC withdrew its MPs from Parliament after they joined a breakaway faction now known as the MDC Renewal Team.
“Tsvangirai is going around saying no reforms, no elections. I wish to thank him for that. Let him boycott while we rule.
“I say let him continue boycotting while we rule. Continue with your no elections, no reforms programme and we will continue ruling,” the VP said.
Mnangagwa continued with his mockery of the MDC, adding that the party had a penchant for splitting.
“There is one major difference between Zanu PF and MDC. Zanu PF fires while the MDC splits. Look now we have about five MDCs, MDC Tsvangirai, MDC Mutambara, MDC 99, and MDC Biti. So MDC splits and Zanu PF fires.
“We have remained intact but we fire rogue elements. And now look, the split in MDC has given us a chance to increase our numbers in Parliament,” he said.
Mnangagwa was leading Zanu PF’s campaigns ahead of the June 10 by-elections, which have exposed deep-rooted factionalism in the ruling party which are threatening to devour the party completely.
Until yesterday, Zanu PF had two candidates in Harare East — Mavis Gumbo and Terence Mukupe — both of whom were registered as the party’s candidates despite the latter winning the party’s primarily elections.
The Harare province leadership, which was backing Gumbo, has now since moved to withdraw her candidature.
But conspicuous by his absence at yesterday’s campaign was secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo who has crossed swords with the party’s political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere over the choice of Mukupe.
Chombo was said to be attending a golf tournament organised by the commander of the defence forces — Constantine Chiwenga — in Borrowdale Brooke.
But Kasukuwere, who had no kind words for Chombo last week over the Harare East saga, was present at Mnangagwa’s rallies.
“Don’t listen to what Tsvangirai says. Yesterday (Friday) he was here saying you should spoil the ballot papers. But he also told you that at his home he listens to rambai makashinga (Zanu PF jingle),” mocked Kasukuwere.
“Yes, Tsvangirai listens to all Zanu PF songs. They are his favourite,” said Kasukuwere. “He loves our songs. He is living with a Zanu PF woman. He stays in a Zanu PF house. What he tells people out there is rubbish from the West,” he added.
Kasukuwere was referring to Tsvangirai’s wife, Elizabeth, who is the daughter to Joseph Macheka, a senior Zanu PF official who, at one time, was mayor of Chitungwiza.
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