via Mugabe: Army, CIO involved in succession fight – NewZimbabwe 11/12/2015
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe Friday made startling claims that the country’s security organs were heavily involved in Zanu PF’s internecine succession wars which have in recent months claimed the scalps of several party bigwigs.
President Mugabe, 91, was delivering a keynote speech during his party’s annual people’s national conference in Victoria Falls Friday afternoon.
The veteran leader appeared frustrated by the recurrent factionalism in Zanu PF which he said was turning the party into a laughing stock among detractors.
However, it is his revelations the army, police and central intelligence were also involved that has turned what should ordinarily be a fervent contest for leadership positions into a complex affair.
“We have a firm policy that forbids such behavior … we should stop it, yes,” President Mugabe said in Shona in an hour plus 40-minute televised speech.
“Tanga tasvika pekuti kwanga kwaanekupindirwa nevamwe zvekare vatisingadi kuona vachipindira munyaya idzi. (We have now come to an untenable situation where people who should ordinarily keep away from such issues are now also involved).
“Some people come to me complaining and asking whether it was proper for the army, the police and intelligence … all telling me so and so belongs to this and that faction.
“Let’s stop that. We are ruining the party that way.”
Mugabe, whose off the cuff speech was punctuated by loud cheers from party delegates, reserved the greater part of his speech to condemning factionalism, which he also varied with attempts to charm party loyalists into observing unity.
Factionalism
“Factionalism, factionalism! You hear stories like these are Mnangagwa’s (Emmerson) and those are Mphoko’s (Phelekezela),” he charged.
“We can’t say these are mine and those are yours because that brews division and I don’t like it. We don’t want to hear people who belong to Mnangagwa or to Mphoko.
“If you say these ones belong to so and so and those ones belong to so and so, then who belongs to me?”
He threatened to wield the axe on party hawks who continue fanning factionalism.
“We can’t continue quarrelling because we won’t succeed while we fight,” he said.
“We are all comrades and comradeship should exist. There is none of us who is a better comrade. For me you are all important because you make a contribution to the party whether you are a peasant farmer or not; you all have a role to play.
“The party must stand on the basis of our membership and comradeship. So let’s be one and work together for the common cause, Zanu PF cause, the people’s cause, then we remain the people’s party.”
Whites coming back
The veteran leader also spoke about ‘re-colonisation’ of land saying some white former farmers were making their way back through some unscrupulous party leaders.
“The settlers who took our land are coming back. They are approaching chiefs and headsmen and offer tractors,” he said.
“There are lots of such clever farmers in every province. Our policy doesn’t allow that and we will be auditing to see what’s happening and Mashonaland East Province was the worst culprit with Ray Kaukonde.”
Mugabe and his party officials punctuated their deliberations with the “Pasi neMDC (down with MDC)” slogan.
The veteran leader said he was refraining from saying the same with People First because he has no evidence of the party’s existence.
People First is a shadowy grouping by party rejects led by ex-VP Joice Mujuru who were dislodged for allegedly trying to topple Mugabe.
The Zanu PF conference, held at Elephant Hills Golf Course was also attended by some foreign diplomats among them British ambassador to Zimbabwe, Catriona Laing.
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