via I was a top ‘terrorist’: Mnangagwa – Southern Eye 27 May 2015 by Nqobani Ndlovu
VICE-PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday reminisced over his time as a political prisoner under colonial rule saying he was forced to use toilet paper as an exercise book.
Mnangagwa said he was described as a “top terrorist” by Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith regime during his years in prison, adding he spent most of his time doing correspondence courses.
“I was among the first ‘top terrorists’ at the time, kept in leg irons in solitary confinement the whole day in prison,” Mnangangwa said.
He said he spent two weeks at Grey Prison before he was transferred to Khami Maximum Security Prison on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
The Vice-President was speaking during a donation of foodstuffs and rolls of toilet paper — all worth $12 000 — to Grey Remand Prison by businessman Raj Modi.
“During our time in prison, there were no such donations. These packs of tissue paper remind me of those days when I was using them as an exercise book for my correspondence studies until I passed all my subjects,” Mnangagwa said.
“One of my English teachers was stingy with marks and used to give me four out of 10 for every assignment, but I passed.
“I enrolled for further studies as a lawyer with five others including President Robert Mugabe and the late Edson Zvobgo, but I will not tell you who excelled,” he said, adding prisoners should not be forgotten as they were part of society and should be inspired by his attainment of qualifications in jail.
The VP was saved the hangman’s noose by his young age and he has said this is the reason why he is against the death sentence.
Mnangagwa said he fell in love with beans in prison and “up to today, I always insist on having beans on my table”.
COMMENTS
And you still are. Like all of ZANU, you have utterly failed to move on, for 35 years.
At least you got beans and toilet paper etc , if you miss it so much go back for another stint and tell us what degrees one can achieve in todays prisons and how good the food is!!!!! You still are a terrorist
Emmerson Mnangagwa was a part of the Crocodile gang that murdered a farmer near Chimanimani in about 1964 – Oberholster.
50 years of murder and mayhem to achieve total power over the people of Zimbabwe. In 1981 he told a journo that they (Zanu) still did not have complete power. “Only when the people coming crawling on their hands and knees – from starvation – will we (Zanu) have complete power.” This had to be done by destroying commercial agriculture and the broader economy from 2000. In later years of the war – this murder and mayhem went as far as bayonetting a 6 week old baby in the same district of Chimanimani. This is the democratic ethos of the party that Kissinger, Carrington, Thatcher and Fraser inflicted on the people of Zimbabwe. Shame on the West for doing such a terrible job. Bayonetting six week old babies is terrorism not liberty or freedom – in my opinion?
It is really surprising that the Smith regime would spare a known, notorious and captured terrorist. Is there any other known and genuine former fighter who was captured and spared from death apart from those who renounced the revolutionary war, before making conclusions about Mnangagwa as his story does no seem to add up.
The accused although convicted and sentenced was deemed under age to face the death penalty at the time. I believe that this is termed “a legal technicality” by lawyers and indeed top terrorists?
Yup. Still a terrorist
You still ARE!
This aspiring next president of Zimababwe has nothing to offer the country. His speeches range from looking backwards at long gone, personal history.. to mocking and/or intimidating perceived opponents. Sounding just like his boss, there is no inspiring vision for the future, no economic solutions.
It might be argued that “I was a top terrorist” is another legal technicality. It might need to be “I am a top terrorist.” I believe that there needs to be a rehabilitation process. I seem to recall that 5 years after the bayonetting of a six week old (white) baby Robert Mugabe and EM’s Government sent the 5th Brigade into Matabeleland and continued to bayonet unborn children (black) in the womb. We need to remember that the commander of this barbaric exercise has been rewarded with a commandership of the Zimbabwe Air Force for loyalty and devotion to duty?