Grace t-shirts fight: Zanu PF MP threatened

via Grace t-shirts fight: Zanu PF MP threatened – NewZimbabwe 23/09/2015

ZANU PF legislator, Shadreck Mashayamombe, allegedly received a threatening message over his role in skirmishes between supporters or Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and First Lady Grace Mugabe which rocked the burial of Sikhanyiso Ndhovu last weekend.

Higher education minister Jonathan Moyo has since weighed into the spat, criticising an article by the Sunday Mail editor over the scuffle after the latter demanded action against the t-shirts group, accusing them of trying to undermine President Robert Mugabe.

“If a Zanu PF member uses the First Lady’s name it means that they are telling us that the principal in the party, President Mugabe, is no longer the centre of power,” wrote Mabasa Sasa.

He added ominously: “We all know the history of those who seek to portray President Mugabe as losing grip of leadership.”

Wrong, said Moyo who is thought to be part of the pro-Grace faction.

Said the minister on Twitter: “It’s factionalist mischief to claim that munhu vese kuna Amai’ besmirches the President when it’s same as kusina Amai hakuendwi!”

Harare South legislator, Mashayamombe, was caught in Saturday’s fights as a group of party supporters linked to the First Lady wore t-shirts that had the face of the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo and President Mugabe.

A group of green bombers confronted the Zanu PF women wearing the t-shirts which also had, at the back, words urging people to rally behind the First Lady.

On Sunday, Mashayamombe, local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere and other party figures  linked to the First Lady, were shocked to get threatening messages on their mobile phones.

The messages came from an Econet line 0777848707 registered in the name of one Jeffrey Nyoni and demanded that Mashayamombe stops embarrassing a person described as “mudhara”.

“Guys let us sit down and discuss yesterday (Saturday) you exposed our man at Heroes Acre that he is fighting the First Lady.

“You are destroying Shaddy; if you fail to come for a peace deal we are going to deal with Shaddy and his surrogates.

“Enough is enough you don’t deserve our respect, you know how to contact us, Grace is not going far, 10 hours to act,” read the message sent to message.

Kasukuwere and Mashayamombe confirmed receiving the messages.

“I don’t know who sent it but I am not afraid,” said Kasukuwere.

Mnangagwa has recently been at the centre of a storm after he was quoted insinuating that late Nkomo was a sell-out hence he lost the 1980 elections.

And the T-shirts that were inscribed ‘The Unity that shall never collapse … Munhu Wese Kuna Amai’ (everyone to mother Grace Mugabe) – a statement party insiders said was directed at Mnangagwa.

Sunday Mail editor Sasa, in his article for sister publication The Herald, demanded action against those behind the t-shirts.

“Effectively, whoever was wearing, and is to be seen wearing, a T-shirt and otherwise distributing or bearing the message purporting to glorify Amai Mugabe is impugning President Mugabe,” he wrote.

“You cannot have a T-shirt commanding the people to rally behind the First Lady when the President is there. That is called promoting factionalism and those behind the messaging must be frowned upon.

“They should be made to face the music — the same music that those that were stealing in the name of the First Lady are now variously facing. They are political crooks.”

Jonathan Moyo said there was nothing wrong with the messaging on the t-shirts.

He said on Twitter: “The content of the piece is factionalist because its attack on the T/Shirt in dispute is similar to that of well-known successionists!

“No thinking person can doubt that Amai is with the President where the President is, hence, ‘Munhu Wese Kuna Amai’, ‘Kusina Amai hakuyendwi!’”