‘Shamed’ Charamba must resign, MDC-T urges

Source: ‘Shamed’ Charamba must resign, MDC-T urges – NewsDay Zimbabwe August 1, 2017

THE MDC-T has called on President Robert Mugabe’s Press secretary George Charamba to resign in protest following his public humiliation by First Lady Grace at a Zanu PF rally in Chinhoyi on Saturday.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora yesterday said Charamba should have self-respect and dignity to just walk out on his boss to save face.

“It was ironic seeing poor George Charamba being dressed down by Grace. Come on, George, have some pride. If he has any pride in him, he should resign,” Mwonzora said.

“It is clear that he should resign from that post, but what also is clear is that what he has been pushing for does not find favour with the First Family.”

Charamba has been accused by a rival Zanu PF faction of abusing his control of State media to prop up Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid to succeed Mugabe.

In her unrestrained attack, Grace accused Charamba of overstepping his mandate and using the State media to blackmail his rivals in both Zanu PF and government. Mwonzora, however, said although Mugabe was embarrassed by the actions of his wife, Charamba emerged the worst victim of Grace’s attacks.

“She embarrassed everyone including herself, but George was embarrassed more,” he said.

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association secretary-general Victor Matemadanda, however, said Grace embarrassed her husband more than Charamba.

“The wife insults the Press secretary of the President, a person they could call in private and speak over the issues. But not even that Charamba is a civil servant, if he has violated his call of work there is a forum on which he is supposed to be dealt with, which is not a political rally hosted by the youth for that matter and gets undressed on live television with the entire world watching the President’s Press secretary being reduced to nothing. Who is being humiliated here is Mugabe,” he said.

Attempts to get a comment from Charamba were fruitless as his mobile phone went unanswered yesterday.