Mugabe denies Grace, ‘Croc for braai’ war

via Mugabe denies Grace, ‘Croc for braai’ war – NewZimbabwe 16/10/2015

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe denied Friday reports of a fallout between his wife Grace and vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, blaming allegations of bitter rifts in Zanu PF on “thankless minds” in opposition parties and the private media.

Despite claiming there were no divisions in the party, Mugabe then went on to complain about the lack of respect for hierarchy and increasing indiscipline with disgruntled officials engaging in “unstructured interaction with hostile sections of the media”.

“Some senior party officials are the ones writing to and speaking to the opposition media, trying to embarrass or bring down colleagues,” he said.

“That has to stop! When you speak through a channel hostile to the party, NewsDay, Standard or any other rubbish paper, you are not defending the party. You are giving substance to the enemy.”

The veteran leader was addressing a meeting of the Zanu PF central committee in Harare.

Grace has been staging rallies across the country in what is seen as a campaign to eventually replace her 91-year-old husband, a bid that would set her against Mnangagwa who is also being backed as a successor by sections of the party.

Pro-Grace party heavies such as Jonathan Moyo, a bitter critic of Mnangagwa, was this week lauding a new culinary delight for Zimbabweans called ‘crocodile burgers’ which he described as a delicious ‘latest Zim craze’.

“Here comes Zim’s latest craze, Croco Burger. Yave nyama yekugocha (it’s now barbeque meat),” the minister said on Twitter. He continued; “Croco burger inyama yekugocha, and of course there is no need to be subtle about it.”

Mnangagwa’s nickname just happens to be ‘The Crocodile’.

President Mugabe however, insisted that everything was dandy between his deputy and Grace.

He denied there were divisions in the ruling party, blaming the allegations on an opposition that has “nothing else to talk about”.

“They (opposition parties and private media) have nothing to talk about, so they will create something,” he said.

“It is Mnangagwa and the First Lady going at each other in order to take care of themselves before what they call succession.

“It may be also some women in Manicaland said to be going for each other for the dominance of the province or perhaps in support of the fictitious factions of Mnangagwa on one hand and the First Lady on the other.

Yes, we get annoyed and irritated by those allegations made against us, but what do you expect to get from the opposition and its sponsors?

He continued: “They have no programmes to sell to the people, no ideas anymore to talk about.

“But we were not born yesterday and so, we know how to take these jibes, allegations and lies that are manufactured every night and published every morning.

“We take them for what they are— rubbish for the dustbin!”

He then complained about indiscipline and warned party members against taking their grievances to the “hostile” private media.

No communication should be made with the media except through the official party spokesman and all disagreements must be dealt with behind closed doors, he added.

“When you speak without authority of that mouth (party spokesman), you are not serving the party but the enemy,” he said.

“Keep even the bitterest of attacks against you and find an opportunity to clear yourself within closed doors. It is not that we are afraid of the outside to know what we are doing.

“We do not want the enemy to have ammunition with which they will seek to destroy the party. If you are doing it stop it!”