Source: Mujuru blasts Mugabe in SA – The Standard September 18, 2016
ZIMBABWE People First leader Joice Mujuru yesterday blasted President Robert Mugabe for allegedly abandoning the ideals of the liberation struggle and becoming another Rhodesian leader in the mould of Ian Smith.
BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
Mujuru made the remarks while addressing her supporters in Pretoria, South Africa as she spreads her wings into the region.
The former vice-president said Mugabe had departed from the issues that forced young people to leave the country to join the war against the Smith regime.
“We went to war because we thought that by replacing the white racist leaders, we would have a better life. But it seems we only succeeded in removing the white racists but the leadership style has not changed,” Mujuru said.
She said many war veterans were still trying to get answers from the Mugabe regime on what really changed him.
“We are asking those in government what happened to the liberation ideals, like unity of all people in Zimbabwe,” Mujuru said.
She said ZimPF was seeking peaceful ways of removing the Mugabe administration, saying violent confrontation would worsen the sorry economic situation.
“We are trying to negotiate peacefully because since you left [Zimbabwe for SA], no new jobs have been created in Zimbabwe and some of the industries you left open have since closed shop,” Mujuru said.
The former VP explained her unceremonious departure from Zanu PF in 2014.
“I was expelled from Zanu PF because we had differed on what we should be doing as leaders,” she said.
Mujuru also took the opportunity to remind Zimbabweans in the diaspora that they had to be organised and come back to vote in 2018.
“We have to know where you are and how we can assist so that it becomes easy for you to be registered and participate in the next elections,” she said.
The ZimPF leader said Zimbabwe needed a people-centred leadership to overcome its problems and stop further loss of lives as citizens tried to illegally migrate to South Africa. She spoke of the recent mining disaster in Johannesburg where the majority of the casualties were reportedly Zimbabweans engaged in illegal mining.
COMMENTS
About The former VP, for how long has she been VP? Also she is a figure of failure, frustrated of having served the People of Zimbabwe for 10 years she got tired and resorted to take a break.
Musona said on another forum –
Joice Mujuru doesn’t know anything about Ian Smith. Joice was living in the Reserves during white rule and was still at primary school when she skipped the border in the 1970s.
One Saturday morning, in the year 2000, I witnessed one of the most amazing scenes I will ever see in my life – I drove to Fife Avenue Shopping centre to buy some items in a Hardware shop. I went in OK supermarket nearby first and when I got inside there was commotion – I soon realised that Ian Smith was in the supermarket and was mobbed by shoppers and shop workers. Everything came to a standstill. People outside thought there was a fight inside only to see it was people cheering Ian Smith. I could not believe what I was seeing. When he went outside back to his red VW Golf car still he was being mobbed and cheered by almost everyone at Fife Avenue. People were shouting “You were dead right Mr Smith”. All spontaneous. He just smiled and never said anything and drove away. At the time cellphones were just being introduced but with no camera as we have now. In fact, if there was a video camera around that would have been a real scoop. The scene at Fife Avenue Shopping centre that day were astonishing. Jaw-dropping stuff. If Ian Smith’s government was as our politicians say then he should have been attacked by the crowd but instead the crowd spontaneously mobbed and cheered Ian Smith like you will never see in your life. This was a very busy Saturday morning and people came rushing from all directions when they heard it was Ian Smith all cheering. He was alone without any bodyguards. This goes to show you how good he was.