via Pray for Mugabe — Tsvangirai – DailyNews Live by Bryn Gumbo 10 DECEMBER 2013
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has hit back at President Robert Mugabe, saying the 89-year-old was losing it and that the people of Zimbabwe must pray for him.
The Zanu PF leader went ballistic on Sunday at the National Heroes Acre saying that Tsvangirai and his cadres do not befit the honour of being interred at the national shrine which is reserved for loyalist politicians and fallen guerrillas from the liberation war that ended white rule in Zimbabwe in 1980.
But Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka, told the Daily News that Mugabe should learn not to mix mourning the dead and politics.
National hero status is usually conferred on dead veterans of the 1970’s liberation war who are given State funerals at the National Heroes Acre in Harare.
Widows of the “national heroes” receive State benefits until their death.
The conferment has drawn fire in the past after some eminent liberation war veterans like Ndabaningi Sithole and Lookout Masuku were overlooked for the honour, both having fallen out with Mugabe.
Tamborinyoka said Mugabe was blatantly abusing the platform, stoking tensions after repeated calls by the MDC for an overhaul of the system for conferring “national hero” status, igniting an old debate over who qualifies for the recognition.
The MDC has proposed “an inclusive national policy with set parameters and clearly defined yardsticks” to determine who qualifies to be a national hero.
“The dignity of a funeral is such that it is an arena beyond political contestation but mourning the dead; and that is it,” Tamborinyoka said.
Addressing mourners during the burial of independence war hero brigadier-general Misheck Tanyanyiwa at the Heroes Acre in Harare on Sunday, Mugabe renewed his rivalry with the former Prime Minister by declaring he would never be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre, because he was a “sell-out”.
But Tsvangirai said Mugabe needs full cooperation of the people of Zimbabwe in prayers as he is manipulating the bereaved and mourners’ time by attacking others.
“What Mugabe needs in abundance are prayers,” the former premier’s spokesperson said. “Let’s pray for Mugabe.
“Let’s not take deaths for political contestation platforms but rather let’s cry and mourn the dead.”
Tsvangirai’s MDC has often complained about conferment of hero status as they postulate that Zanu PF has converted a national shrine into a Zanu PF shrine.
The opposition MDC argues there should be a total paradigm shift in the criterion used to confer hero status.
Asked about hero status being the exclusive prerogative of the Zanu PF politburo, the party’s highest decision making body, Tamborinyoka told the Daily News that he has no further answers other than pressing that people pray for Mugabe.
Mugabe shared power with Tsvangirai for four years in a shaky coalition government which ended on July 31 when Zimbabwe held polls won by the Zanu PF leader amid claims of vote-rigging. Tsvangirai has refused to accept Mugabe’s disputed victory and maintains the octogenarian leader tampered with the vote.
Mugabe has not met Tsvangirai since the end of the coalition government and appears to have closed the door on the MDC leader for talks aimed at discussing his exit package, including purchase of a mansion which the ex-premier occupies.
COMMENTS
Ini handivanzo verenga vinyaya izvi ndinomhanyira kumacomments kuri nani than this thrush
The so called National Heroes Acre is a Zanu PF burial ground period.
The only good thing about Heroes Acre is that a lot of terrorists are there and they are all DEAD !!!
The good thing is that the hero’s acre is fenced off and under 24/7 guard so the looters inside can never ever out to loot again
There are very few heroes buried on the National Heroes Site.
Please Luke just say it as it is. We will pray that the old madhala die. We wont have a memorial like the one south of the limpopo but we will party till we drop.
This clearly behaviour shows the difference between a states man and a party leader. You can earn the respect of a nation let alone other nations when you behave like a toddler who thinks a packet of sweets in his hands is all there is in the world and should be shared by any one else.
Comparing and contrasting the comments of Mugabe & Tsvangirayi, it is very clear as to who is a statesman and who is a villain. Why would anyone older than 75 years want to remain in office? Let alone 90. No wonder why he is now always asleep at every forum. He even dosed yesterday at the FNB and Grace struggled to keep his eyes open by stomping on his left foot. Shame, shame, shame on Grace & the 3 kids.
Yes I am praying for Mugabe. I want him to go to hell soon
What do you expect an old man running short of ideas to say when addressing people , the old man is loosing focus because of his age ,a funeral is simple meant for that reason , it is time for mourning nothing else , i don’t blame Mugabe for this , his age tells it better , those leaders of ZANU PF are to be blamed , the presidential seat is now too hot for Mugabe but his party members are giving a blind eye to this , why should they crucify the old man like this, Mugabe will never just wake up in the morning and say today iam retiring , instead ZANU PF members must respect this old man and release him from his duties. Mugabe has played his part bad or good , but the mere fact is that Zimbabweans must not expect such an old to be creative any more , the world is changing but Mugabe is still leaving in the 1980s , he has never reconciled , he had been fighting ever since , do you expect him to change today at his age nooo. Instead of praying for Mugabe i suggest we should pray for all ZANU PF leaders so that God can bring back their brians as they have lost their vision .Mugabe is not a king to die while on his throan, he is the president of the country , this is high time where by we Zimbabweans must start blaming those who feels that he must be on the seat even though it is clear that he is exhausted because of his age , why should they keep on sucking president Mugabe’s blood .
All of those who are saying Mugabe must stay put at the throne are doing that for their personal benefit not national interest
The truth of the matter is that Mugabe himself will never be buried there. The reason for this is that many of the, so called heroes buried there, were put there by Mugabe i.e Tongogara and many others. They are waiting for him and he is terrified.
Who is a sell-out Mugabe or Tsvangirai. Let’s examine this:We went to war against the white regime for political,economical and social independence but we have none of the above mentioned.Tongogara and others didn’t sacrifice their lives for what we are seeing. Mugabe is busy auctioning the country to the highest bidder, in principle Zimbabwe is now a colony of China.I’m surprised to hear people talk of Mugabe being a wise leader.
Correction: …lowest bidder!
we are all praying for him to go one way or another….”heroes acre’ will just grow over with weeds once this old man is put in there.
For four years Morgan led us to believe that he could work with Bob and found him reasonable!Now we have to pray for him.Morgan you were taken for a huge ride and need prayer!!!
The only good heroes are those dead and buried on that God forsaken plot of land called ‘heroes acre’, their souls awaiting eternal damnation and consumption by fire.
May their suffering in hell be multiplied by 14 million (the number of souls upon which they inflicted such torturous inhumane brutalities) and may they anguish in hell for all eternity. Praise be to God.
Ja, we all know about ‘Zeroes Acre’ as a Zanoid dumping ground, but Tsvangirai saying Mugabe ‘has lost it’ … lol … that happened many decades ago and now the fat fool announces it to us as though it is a revelation. Really, they should bury MT and Co in Zeroes Acre as well, the place of sell-outs and thieves.
Imagine President Mugabe was also given platform to speak at the Nelson Mandela’s death ceremony, what was he going to say?
TO HELL WITH HIM BIG FOOL WE ALL LOST RESPECT FOR HIM.
HE CANT BE A GOOD FATHER WHEN YOUR KIDS A STARVING.
Mugabe is a crazy man, ageing is catching up with him, however he does not seem to see it. So prayers should be focused to have his eyes open and ears hear the reality of what happening around him and what the world is saying about his ZANU PF and his leadership. Blind has he become so much that he sees smiling faces when all are angry and hungry, so deaf is that he hears laughter when all are crying and wailing from poverty and joblessness.
We long told these MDC-T people that Mugabe is a Gukurahundi, but instead they have chosen to feel uncomfortable on his behalf over the simple mention of the word Gukurahundi.
Many of them have argued that Mugabe was right over Gukurahundi because he suppressed an uprising against a legitimate democratically elected government.
What a farce – an uprising he deliberately created by frustrating former ZIPRA cadres into rebellion, in his efforts at wiping out Joshua Nkomo and establishing a one party state.
Despite the fact that Mugabe has continued to use the same tactics of creating stories about his political opponents against their own beloved Tswangirayi; the MDC-T fools continue to buy this Gukurahundi dissidents story, simply because its from one of their own kith and kin Mugabe.
Learn to emulate Dr Joshua Nkomo and Dr Nelson Mandela’s politics of inclusivity and unity in diversity, you fools!!
He cant change anything now its too late ,the succession battle is giving him nightmares ,and its all because of his dictatorship ,people in zimbabwe no longer respect him ,Tsvangirai this and that ,He ,s a grown man but he behaves like 16 year old .
I figured out why bob is still alive….neither heaven nor hell want him that how bad it is hence we stuck with him!!!!
Mugabe is not bigger than the people of Zimbabwe , his is not bigger than ZANU PF , one word from the entire members of ZANU PF can be head , if they can say Mugabe must be released from the seat today it can be , then Mugabe must not be blamed , he is forced to seat there without choice , he fears for his life , the culprits are those party members surrounding Mugabe , they spoon feed this old man with the wrong tactics , they feel that if they can release him they will be highly exposed . ZANU PF members are gambling with us , Mugabe is not to be blamed , do you have to blame the blind man for loosing direction ???? please Zimbabweans must look at things in a broader way , there is no point of pushing our fingers at Mugabe , we have missed our target , ZANU PF members are fooling us , Mugabe himself at his age doesn’t like the seat, he is used as the shield , but unfortunately this is coming to an end . Stop shouting at this old man , i had been shouting at him as well God will forgive me for the that , lets shout loudly to the culprits surrounding Mugabe thats it .
Hey out there , Bob doesn’t have the energy anymore to challenge masses of Zimbabwe , he doesn’t have energy to oppose a collective decision which might be taken by ZANU PF members , leave him alone and shout at the really culprits , you will go to hell by shouting and insulting at the wrong person , Mugabe is under crucification he doesn’t like the seat anymore ,he is forced by the devils to seat there , shout at those devils to release him from the seat .
@Khaya’bonina
Do you know or do you understand what leadership is all about or what it actually means?
Mugabe is responsible for appointing Ministers; they don’t appoint themselves. Therefore in line with the principles of accountability he is finally responsible for their actions or inaction, whatever the case might be.
You need to read widely on LEADERSHIP. UNISA School of leadership has plenty of material on this; many other MBA Schools also have lots of material. Just google – its that simple!!
It is how you serve your nation that matters not where you are buried! That’s what Morgan should be saying!
Mandela chose to be buried at his village, nothing amazing about death. You die and worms eat you, you rot. You will never return to this world, so what? Bury your dead where ever you want, it will never bring them back!!
well said
Zimbabwe’s suffering is not forever. If Mugabe is a Saint,why is he not delivering. His tendency of making national policy pronouncements at funerals is typical of village heads.I cant help imagining the contents of his speech. I listen to Zim news for breaking news that…..Zim has been liberated.
Clearly Mugabe has long surpassed that point where you brain cells are regenerated faster than they degenerate. If the president of a country that is facing such momentous problems as ours thinks micromanaging people’s burials is something that he should be involved in, then he has failed.
Iwe Mugabe, hauna kuendesa vanhu kuchikoro here? Don’t you think you at least raised people smart enough to determine who has made a positive contribution to this country? Of course, surrounded by the imbeciles you pick, it’s hardly surprising that you think Zimbabweans are stupid.
Wise words Chimusoro.Really it doesn’t matter where you are buried, dust is dust.However it matters how you serve the people.Those are some of the wisest words I have ever heard.I wish ZANU PF hears this
You can exonerate Mugabe all you want and base your forgiveness because of age. But Zimbabwe is not where it is because the oldman suddenly turned 90. He failed from day one. He even failed to learn from Mandela. He is directly responsible for all the atrocities he committed through gukurahundi and murambatsvina. He failed Zimbabwe to the point it literally begs for foreign money. If you want to see failure, just look at how the Z$ collapsed, under Mugabe-masquerading as head of this and that. Mugabe fails to change leadership. He fails to appoint ministers with ideas because he is always wishing to surround himself with yes-men. I bet even his children see failure in this old man.
Mugabe has been attending international meetings and gatherings for 33 years; he can not show you even one thing Zimbabwe has ever benefited from his international travels.
No matter how small a meeting is, he will never send his Vice Presidents abroad on his behal, instead he makes sure it is him who attends; one wonders what the purpose of a Vice President is!!
Vakuru ava vangotiunzira nhamo. Nesuwo takanyanyo pusa. Ese masoja, mapurisa, maticha, varimi, tinongosekerera tichingotarisa hupenyu hwedu uchiparadzwa nemunhu mumwe chete!
Only time will tell mugabe is next to be buried I wonder how will be the situation in zanu because kana muridzi wezvinhu asisipo zvinoneta all the best ne zanu
Heroes acre has become a shame. What does it benefit the country to bury a murderer at the shrine? Wafa wafa! Isai vanhu kumisha yavo zvaitwa vaMandela! Who in his senses would want to visit that place called heroes acre? Hatidyi heroes acre isu!
my brother is buried there, he was 13 yrs old a car knocked him over in 1969…I still think of him