via ‘Mugabe is a scared man’ – DailyNews Live 14 April 2015 by Fungi Kwaramba
HARARE – Former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa says President Robert Mugabe is running scared despite maintaining a facade of bravado and resoluteness in public, in the face of the open revolt to his misrule by his former trusted senior lieutenants as well as the deteriorating economic climate in the country.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily News yesterday, Mutasa — who knows Mugabe and the workings of the ruling Zanu PF intimately — said the nonagenarian was “scared stiff of people power”, as well as the prospects of losing his position.
He added that if hard-pressed Zimbabweans became more resolute and properly organised themselves to mount ‘Mugabe is a major mass demonstrations over the country’s worsening political and economic crises, there was no doubt that they would manage to pressurise the long-ruling leader to reform because he was “scared of losing his position”.
Offering a rare glimpse into the life of Africa’s oldest leader, Mutasa said far from the long-held view that Mugabe was a hardliner impervious to the abject poverty of his people, the 91-year-old “has a conscience” but was now surrounded by fawning “yes men who are feeding him with lies”.
The fact that Mugabe was now in the “vice-like grip of Mafikizolos (Johnny-come-latelies), Mutasa said, this meant that it was time to force his hand and take him head on “to demand a people-centred government” that could rescue the country from its current myriad problems.
“People should organise themselves and demonstrate because things are getting worse by the day. But the protests should not be violent. I have no doubt that the president will listen because he has a conscience.
“When he is confronted, he is afraid because he loves his position so much,” the soft-spoken Mutasa said.
He said with the majority of Zimbabweans groaning under intolerable economic hardships that were spawned by Mugabe’s 35 years of misrule, as well as “looting by his ministers”, it was time a people-oriented government was put in place.
He also called for the ditching of the ruling party’s populist policies such as the “disastrous Look East policy”.
“The look East policy makes a few people very rich and then leaves the rest suffering. We have a major problem in our hands as these few, politically-connected rich people are building mansions while the rest suffer.
“Until when there is a change of government, a change of the operating system, people are going to continue suffering. But our people can come forward and demand the better life and two million jobs that were promised through peaceful demonstrations,” Mutasa said.
Asked why he was only criticising Mugabe’s economic policies now, having enjoyed close to three decades on the gravy train, Mutasa said it had been difficult to do so while he was part of the system.
“I can now complain because I could not complain in the past since I was part of the system.
“There was a time in the 1990s when I complained about Esap (Economic Structural Adjustment Programme) and I was kicked out. So I could not risk that again by raising such sensitive topics,” Mutasa said.
In addition to battling the country’s ever-deteriorating economy, Mugabe is also wrestling with the open rebellion to his continued rule by senior officials in his party which has seen Zanu PF officially splitting into two distinct and bitterly-opposed formations.
This has seen disaffected party stalwarts — including liberation struggle pioneers, war veterans and security sector bigwigs — coalescing under the principles of the “original Zanu PF” and now operating as Zanu People First.
Well-placed sources say former Vice President Joice Mujuru was set to lead this “original Zanu PF” which would use the slogan “People First” to “distinguish itself clearly from the one led by Mugabe.
Retired, but hugely respected party elder, Cephas Msipa, was among the first prominent party members to warn of an imminent split of the party, going on to criticise Mugabe openly late last year for failing to deal with Zanu PF’s deadly infighting and refusing to take advice on the party’s escalating factionalism.
In an interview with the Daily News last October, Msipa said pointedly that he feared for the worst for Zanu PF if its ugly intra-party ructions continued to obtain.
“If people continue being dissatisfied with what is happening, it is possible to have a split. I think the president has the key to all these issues. I hate factionalism and if it continues I don’t know what will become of the party,” he said ruefully.
Msipa also bluntly warned Mugabe that his failure to unmask and stop the party’s real factionalists would result in the party splitting into several opposing camps, further attacking the party faction aligned to Mnangagwa for behaving as if it “owned” the divisive Grace — a development that he said was fuelling factionalism inside the party.
Analysts have said the country’s political stage was now delicately poised between the two bitterly-opposed Zanu PF formations, as well as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC, ahead of the crucial 2018 national elections.
Sources have also said that many expelled and serving Zanu PF ministers, legislators, Youth and Women’s league officials who had been victims of the party’s harassment and brutal purges of the past few months, which had been fronted by Mugabe’s controversial wife Grace, supported the idea of Zanu PF “People First” and were pushing Mujuru to lead the party.
COMMENTS
At 91 ,Mugabe has nothing to be scared about Mr. Mutasa! The truth is that all you who where part of the game schould already now beginning to be very scared about wether you will live long enough to even reach your 90 ‘s. Of cause you can all pack your bags and run away to Saudi Arabien,like Idi Amini showed an explambe how to exit and live comfortebly until his time came.
By the way, the spirits of all those who lost their blood will haunt you all, your wifes, children and childrens children where ever you go.The later my be innocest, but some one has to pay for the fathers,grandfathers sins until justice is done.That is the buntu culture for centuries so forget what you read in your bible
I think that Mutasa is correct in his analysis that if Mugabe is put under pressure he could be pushed to make reforms. I say this in relation to how he relented to the demands of the war veterans and granted them their wishes in the late 1990’s. They threatened him, pushed him around and stated in no uncertain terms what they were capable of doing if he refused to listen to their demands. That is the language that dictators understand and not elections which they control.
I hope the opposition parties including the expelled group will throw away their differences, organise the demonstrations and ensure it makes matibili sweat in his pants. The people need to be mobilised through consultations down to grassroot level
the whole of africa is with you, dear people of zimbabwe. Save the nation before grace imelda marcos spends all the money on shoes and handbags
It is not about pressurising ZPF to reform – we have to get them completely out, because until we do, nothing is going to change
Zanu pf people first……..sounds about right!!
All of you should be held to account, imprisoned and all your ill gotten assets forfeited to the state!
Mugabe and his wife should be executed, a la Ceacescu’s, as a warning to other would be mugabes!
Change is on its way…….at last!
It will be utter madness to listen and follow MUTASA and his ilk, people of Zimbabwe use your brains and not your butts.
Tekere,Tsvangirai, Margaret Dongo,Simba Makoni and Dumiso Dabengwa were not expelled from Zanu Pf, but saw the Light earlier,resigned from the ill-fated train and advised you about the destination Zanu Pf was travelling towards and you ignored them as deranged. Now you are being coaxed by refuse material/rejects of the Doomed train to back them in what recovery package.
I think that at times we look at issues superficially and ended up with some wrong conclusions. It is quite possible that some of the ZANU-PF members saw the way things are developing – especially in the financial sector – and indeed tried to manufacture a process to get rid of Mugabe and thus save their own skins in the political sphere.
That process did not work out and they find themselves out of jobs and out of their positions within ZANU-PF and the outcome of social disgruntlement will not necessarily favour them – since they were part of the problems created and part of an oppressive regime guilty of election thievery. It is unlikely that the disgruntled will forgive them their past sins.
Mutasa and the rest of the People First Group will have to sought help from the opposition parties and will have to spill the beans on how elections since 2000 have been stolen. That will create another problem, since the people would lose faith in elections and seek alternative measures to get rid of the ZANU-PF elite. Those measures could create anarchy and bloodshed.
The only way is to use massive peaceful demonstrations and instil an interim Government without necessarily political connections to any specific party that could change the legislative conditions to ensure a fair and reasonable result and thereafter arrange for elections – so as to get into place a Government acceptable to the majority of the Zimbabwean people.
Even that Government will be under pressure – since it would take decades to rid the country of the results of a failed and looting Government.
In an ideal world an interim government would work. Do you think Bob will just agree and say OK an interim government should take over. In your dreams Bro.
A “MAN” ? Really ? Since when ?
A man is a male human.Humans are adept at utilizing systems of symbolic communication such as language and art for self-expression, the exchange of ideas, and organization. Humans create complex social structures composed of many cooperating and competing groups, from families and kinship networks to states. Social interactions between humans have established an extremely wide variety of values,social norms, and rituals, which together form the basis of human society. The human desire to understand and influence their environment, and explain and manipulate phenomena, has been the foundation for the development of science, philosophy, mythology, and religion. The scientific study of humans is the discipline of anthropology.A tyrant in its modern English usage, is an absolute ruler unrestrained by law or constitution, or one who has usurped legitimate sovereignty. A tyrant usually controls almost everything, and is considered a ruler of horrible and oppressive character, even in spite of governing a free state according to just laws.A monster is any creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is often hideous and may produce fear or physical harm by its appearance and/or its actions. The word usually connotes something wrong or evil; a monster is generally morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, and/or a freak of nature. It can also be applied figuratively to a person with similar characteristics like a greedy person or a person who does horrible things.
Remember that word from the 80’s. PHOVO, that is all that the people have been reduced to. PEASANTS OF THE ELITE.
The phovo will only rebel when they are hungry and organised. We are hungry and there is one organisation controlling them – the CIO, so as alluded to by others there has to be a complete change of the rot before anything meaningful can happen.
Nobody within the government or ZPF will dare whisper of change for fear of disappearing. The whole Mujuru saga is a warning to those minions, and they will keep on serving the elite just like the PHOVO we all are.
A tyrant usually controls almost everything, and is considered a ruler of horrible and oppressive character, even in spite of governing a free state according to just laws.A monster is any creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is often hideous and may produce fear or physical harm by its appearance and/or its actions. The word usually connotes something wrong or evil; a monster is generally morally objectionable, physically or psychologically hideous, and/or a freak of nature. It can also be applied figuratively to a person with similar characteristics like a greedy person or a person who does horrible things.
What i clearly do not understand is why the opposition is not taking full advantage of the ruling parties current political stalemate because this is the best time to attack when the lion is down wounded..
The opposition is comprised of people of Zim who have done zilch since the election of 2013 which was blatantly stolen by ZANU.
They watched, enthralled as stories of looting on a grand scale emerged but did nothing.
An activist has disappeared in mysterious circumstances and not a “boof” from the Zimbo.
To expect him to make anything out of the current disarray in ZANU, would be to engage in wishful thinking.
Besides, the army, the charlie 10’s, etc etc are still in place.
Mutasa is simply mad or clowning. How could he talk of Mugabe having conscience & Makifizolo, blaaa, blaaaa, blaaa, as if the rot began yesterday after himself & others were booted out of Zanu Pf.
We all know, the rot started the very day Mugabe was propelled to the helm of Zanu pf, way back in Mozambique; and the was consistently and persistently consolidated over the past generation. So, if truth be said, the mass-suffering of Zimbabweans has very little to do with Mafikizolo, but much more to do with Mugabe & his long-long time lieutenants, of which Didymus is top among them. So, Mutasa need to spare us his madness, and foolish attempts to pass the buck to the Jonnie-come-latelies. He is indeed among the chief architects of the suffering in Zimbabwe. Didymus will not fool anyone on this one. He can only fool & believe himself, but surely no one will believe his pathetic and shameful lies no matter how many times he regurgitates them.
@cochrane ,the French way is better than half of a like the solution than Ceasescu and wife in their country.