Mujuru allies cry foul

via Mujuru allies cry foul October 28, 2014

VICE-PRESIDENT Joice Mujuru’s sympathisers yesterday said they smelt a rat over the last-minute cancellation of a State function in Mutare where she had been invited as guest speaker.

Mujuru had been invited to officiate at the reburial of the remains of over 100 freedom fighters retrieved from a disused mineshaft in Matumba, Mutasa district.

The event was, however, postponed late on Sunday night with Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi citing undisclosed logistical challenges.

“The reburial has been postponed due to logistical reasons to a new date that will be advised,” Mohadi reportedly told the State media.

However, Mujuru’s sympathisers in Manicaland said they suspected the postponement might have been calculated to deny her an opportunity to hit back at First Lady Grace Mugabe who, two weeks ago, publicly lampooned her for being allegedly inept, corrupt and a sellout.

This was going to be Mujuru’s second public appearance and chance to spruce up her battered image following Grace’s unrelenting public bashing.

Last Saturday, Mujuru told Zanu PF supporters at her graduation party in Dotito that she was a victim of political persecution, adding that it was unfair for her detractors to label her a “sellout” given the immense sacrifices she made to liberate the country during the armed struggle.

Although Manicaland Provincial Affairs minister Christopher Mushohwe and Zanu PF provincial chairman John Mvundura were not reachable, some senior party officials said they suspected the postponement of the programme was part of a plot to block her from addressing the public until after the Zanu PF elective congress in December.

“This is just the work of her detractors. How can a programme be announced and the whole Vice-President of a country invited only to be told the Home Affairs ministry has issues? It’s clear the detractors fear her and they underestimated her,” said a Zanu PF Central Committee member who declined to be named for security reasons.

Another Mujuru ally who also spoke on condition of anonymity said: “They said it’s a security issue because we understand there could be people hired to disrupt the proceedings. What’s happening in Zanu PF now is unpredictable, but it’s also clear that she was going to steal the limelight.

“However, what people do not realise is that there are cultural implications in all this because the Matumba community is made to keep those [fallen fighters’] remains for a long time. Culturally, it’s not proper.

“The programme is so expensive too and we keep pumping out money until reburial is done,” added the source.

Sylvester Nguni, the Minister of State in VP Mujuru’s Office, too could not be reached for comment as he was reportedly attending a funeral in Mhondoro.

Meanwhile, a group of war veterans led by national leader Jabulani Sibanda yesterday toured the site following cancellation of the programme.

The ex-fighters’ remains were discovered by gold miners and afterwards exhumed by the Fallen Heroes’ Trust in June in preparation for a decent reburial.