Gumbo says ready for Mugabe ‘war’

via Gumbo says ready for Mugabe ‘war’ – New Zimbabwe 04/03/2015

FORMER Zanu PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo has described his move to join ex-party secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa in challenging President Robert Mugabe in court as an invitation to war.

Gumbo was expelled from the ruling party on allegations that he had connived with Mutasa, then vice president Joice Mujuru and axed Labour Minister Nicholas Goche to hatch a plot with assistance from Western powers to assassinate Mugabe.

Mutasa has filed a High Court application that is seeking to overturn decisions made by the ruling party’s 6th congress last year.

A veteran of the country’s bush war which brought majority rule, Gumbo in his supporting affidavit to the application, said amendments to the party’s constitution were effected fraudulently adding that Mugabe has confirmed as much.

“I fought against injustice throughout my life. I fought against Ian Smith and the colonial regime,” said Gumbo.

“I am aware that (by) bringing this court application, I am inviting a war from the respondents. However I have no fear and I am absolutely satisfied that this is the correct thing to do.

“Injustice, abuse of the rule of law, abuse of the principles of natural justice must be fought everywhere and anywhere it exists.”

In the affidavit, Gumbo describes events leading to his suspension on November 13 and his subsequent expulsion on the 3rd of December.

He claims that Mugabe had been angered by his steadfast stance to quiz the party’s leadership on who had given the order to begin the process of no confidence votes against those perceived to have been aligned to Mujuru.

Said Gumbo: “… we debated the fairness and unfairness of the vote of no confidence. Cde Kasukuwere said in Shona, ‘dindingwe rinofara kana richikweva rimwe. Kana rikwebwa harifari’.

“He (Kasukuwere) went on to say when provincial elections were held, the other side was happy but now they are not happy with the vote of no confidence process.

“It was at this point that the president intervened and started castigating me for plotting to assassinate him. He described me as the main plotter and main culprit.”

It was after Mugabe’s angry rant that a motion to suspend Gumbo was moved.

Like Mutasa, Gumbo said First Lady Grace Mugabe had “poisoned the environment” during the run-up to the party congress during her rallies where accused Mujuru and her allies of corruption ineptitude, nepotism and outright treason.

Mugabe has warned that “no court will entertain such nonsense” in what analysts said was a clear intimidation tactic against the judiciary.

The Zimbabwean leader is known for his brutal way he deals with descent.