via Newly-appointed VPs speak• I will remain loyal to the party: Mnangagwa | The Herald 11 December 2014 by Lloyd Gumbo and Zvamaida Murwira
Newly-appointed Zanu-PF and the country’s Vice President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa says he will further the ideals of the revolution while remaining loyal to the party and country.
Speaking in an interview after his appointment by President Mugabe at a Zanu-PF Central Committee meeting at Zanu-PF Headquarters yesterday, Cde Mnangagwa said Zanu-PF had rid itself of elements who had become inconsistent.
“I feel humbled that I have been accorded this honour to serve our beloved country Zimbabwe in the capacity of Vice President,” said Cde Mnangagwa. “I have assured the President and I would want to assure the party and its leadership that I will remain loyal and committed to uphold the correct line of the revolution which we have been in for the past 52 years.”
Asked if Zanu-PF had been weakened by the removal of former party second secretary, Cde Joice Mujuru and her cabal who had plotted to remove President Mugabe through unprecedented means including assassination, Cde Mnangagwa said the revolution goes through cycles.
“No the revolution has a way of strengthening itself. It goes into cycles. This is another cycle where it rids itself of elements that have now become inconsistent with the correct line.”
Cde Mnangagwa has a rich history of consistently serving both the party since its formation in 1963 and the Government since independence.
Before his new appointment, Cde Mnangagwa was the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and held the post of Secretary for Legal Affairs in the party.
Cde Mnangagwa was born on September 15, 1946 and became Minister of State Security from 1980 to 1988, Minister of Justice from 1988 to 2000, Speaker of Parliament from 2000 to 2005, Minister of Rural Housing and Social Amenities from 2005 to 2009 and Minister of Defence from 2009 to 2013.
Between 1995 and 1996, Cde Mnangagwa acted as Minister of Finance for about 15 months and presented the National Budgets, while the then incumbent Dr Benard Chidzero was ill.
In the party, he held the positions of secretary for finance 1994 to 1999, secretary for administration from July 2000 to December 2004 and has been its secretary for legal affairs since December 2004.
Cde Mnangagwa did his early education in Zvishavane, Midlands province but the repressive political situation forced his family to relocate to Zambia, known then as Northern Rhodesia.
He continued with his education in Zambia in 1955 at Mumbwa Boarding School, Kafue Trade School and Hodgson Technical College.
With others, he was subsequently expelled from college in 1960 for political activism which led to the burning of some property.
He completed his law degree with the University of Zambia in 1975 and was admitted to the Bar of the High Court of Zambia in 1976 where he practiced law while doubling up Secretary for Zanu for the Zambia Division in Lusaka.
His political career dates back to the early 1960s when in 1962 he joined the Zapu and later Zanu which saw him travelling to Tanzania, Egypt and China where he eventually received military training.
He attended the Zanu congress in Gweru 1964 where Cde Mugabe was elected secretary general.
Cde Mnangagwa was latter to carry out daring operations in the country and it was during these operations that he and others sabotaged a locomotive train in Fort Victoria.
He was subsequently arrested, but was saved from execution due to his young age although he was imprisoned for 10 years.
At Zanu’s Chimoio congress in 1977, he was elected Special Assistant to the President and member of the National Executive for Zanu which saw him leaving law practice in Zambia for Mozambique.
The post of Special Assistant meant that he was head of both the civil and military divisions of the party.
Cde Mnangagwa participated in the Lancaster House Constitutional Conference and in January 1980, he led the first group of civilian leaders which included Didymus Mutasa and Eddison Zvobgo from Maputo to Zimbabwe.
I promise to deliver to people’s expectations: Mphoko
By Lloyd Gumbo and Felex Share
Newly-appointed Zimbabwe and zanu-pf Vice President Cde Phelekezela Mphoko, a long-serving diplomat and freedom fighter, has said he is elated with his elevation and promised to deliver to people’s expectations.
“This is not a sleep on the job work,” said Cde Mphoko, in an interview soon after his appointment by President Mugabe yesterday. “This is not a honeymoon. This is in actual fact a challenge. That is the most important thing.
“The challenges and problems that are there I will find them from the people.
“People are going to tell us what the problems are, then together we will address them.”
Cde Mphoko (74) was the zipra commander in charge of logistics and supplies during the liberation struggle.
He was also part of the five-man zipa Command, a joint operation between Zanla and Zipra.
Cde Mphoko was one of the first seven commanders of the Military Planning Committee of Zapu formed in 1965, together with Cdes Ambrose Mutinhiri, Abraham Nkiwane, then later Cdes Akim Ndlovu, Robson Manyika, Gordon Bushe and Walter Mbambo.
He trained in military science together with Cde Mutinhiri in the Soviet Union in 1964.
Just before independence, Cde Mphoko was appointed Zapu representative to Mozambique where he worked with South African President Jacob Zuma, Joe Modise and other African National Congress top brass.
Cde Mphoko served Zimbabwe for more than 27 years as a diplomat beginning in Mozambique, serving in-between as consular between 1988 and 1992.
Between 1996 and 2001, Cde Mphoko served in Vienna, Austria as consular.
In 2002, he was appointed Zimbabwe’s High Commissioner to Botswana where he served until he was posted to Russia in 2005.
A trained agriculturalist, Cde Mphoko was then posted to South Africa in 2010, replacing Cde Simon Khaya Moyo until he was recalled this year.
COMMENTS