Mujuru: I always clashed with Bob in govt – NewZimbabwe 06/03/2016
FORMER Vice President and leader of the newly launched Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party, Joice Mujuru, says her expulsion from government was inevitable as she routinely clashed with President Robert Mugabe during their meetings.
“I was always clashing with Mugabe over policy issues during our meetings and it was clear that one day I was going to leave government and the party,” said Mujuru in an interview with Newzimbabwe.com at her Mount Pleasant house last week.
Mujuru launched ZPF at a Harare hotel last Tuesday and promised to democratize Zimbabwe and run the country differently from Mugabe if elected into power in 2018.
Asked why she could not implement her proposed ideas during her 34-year spell in government, Mujuru said it was difficult to work with Mugabe as he does not give anybody with different ideas any chance.
On her exit from both Zanu PF and government in December 2014, Mujuru said it was false that she was fired, saying she left voluntarily. She said she “laughed” when Mugabe claimed to the nation that he had fired her for plotting a coup against him.
“I met Mugabe on the 1st of December 2014 and l told him that my hands were clean and that all the accusations against me were lies and that I was leaving. I bade him farewell,” said Mujuru.
“The following day, I stopped attending the politburo meetings and that is when Mugabe wrote a letter to expel me.”
Commenting on First Lady Grace Mugabe’s ‘meet the people rallies’ Mujuru said: “I really don’t know where the First Family or the President and his wife want to take this country to.”
“But the end result is they are actually destroying Zanu PF and government. They are destroying the revolution because if this thing is not halted nothing is going to be left of the struggle.”
Mujuru said as far as she can see it Mugabe and his wife were hunting down everybody who took part in the struggle.
“I for one did nothing, all those accusations against me were lies; same with accusations against other liberation fighters.”
Among her ZPF comrades are Rugare Gumbo and Didymus Mutasa, David Butau, Dzikamai Mavhaire, Bright Matonga, Colonel Claudius Makova and Slyvester Nguni all former Members of Parliament, Ambassador John Mvundura and fired former ZBC finance manager Elliot Kasi.
On the ZPF launch, Mujuru said it was now time to build Zimbabwe in peace and bring about reforms in all sectors.
In her interview with NewZimbabwe.com, Mujuru said her liberation war experience gave her an advantage over other opposition leaders and political parties.
“I am sure people have been yearning for somebody who would take them to their destination or to the Promised Land. Yes, there have been other political parties but people have been telling us that in those parties they have been missing revolutionaries and liberation war fighters,” she said.
COMMENTS
We don’t want liberation credentials. We want leadership. So called liberators have a sense of entitlement. We need a Doctor as Minister of Health, an Accountant as Minister of Finance, etc.. Not these liberators who will put their corrupt friends in positions they are not trained for. Any talk about the struggle will take my vote somewhere else. Move on Madam. Give us a new message not your old Zanu message
I am not sure what is particularly spectacular about amai mujuru. She is an opportunist like the rest of them. For 34 years she was wining and dining with the first family and the country was perfect then. Now that she not the first family’s favourite she is now crying fowl. Why did she not opt to resign when Zanu PF was butchering people during the election. Why did she not resign when land was been taken away without a robust economic plan. Why did she not resign when the country’s diamond were being plundered? Mai Mujuru is is a wolf in a sheep’s clothes, she is Zanu PF @ heart. She does not have any economic development plan for Zimbabwe and her team is made upof ex Zanu PF cadres. We will make the county aware and she willnever be president. Watch this space!!
Chagaresango, I have heard many people arguing along the same lines as your argument above. This argument does not provide any solution whatsoever. If you are a Christian, the question I may want to pose to you is: do you skip reading Paul’s letters in the Bible just because he was once antagonistic to Christians and the Church in general? If you are not a Christian, my counter-argument is that instead of seeing a glass of water as half-empty, for a change, see it as half full. While Joyce has been ZANU all along, why not take advantage of her knowledge of the goings on in ZANU and then use this to built a strategy of dislodging ZANU. After all, all the previous opposition outfits have failed to do so. Why not give her the benefit of doubt and use her instead of just fearing to be used by her?