Whither Mugabe assassination plot?

via Whither Mugabe assassination plot? – DailyNews Live 8 December 2014 by Maxwell Sibanda

HARARE – President Robert Mugabe and the state media’s claims that embattled Vice President Joice Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo plotted to assassinate the 90-year-old Zimbabwean leader seem to be failing to hold water.

While the Mugabe assassination card has been used to oust a number of Zanu PF high ranking officials in a systematic vote of no confidence, the veteran leader has carefully chosen his words in accusing Mujuru and her allies of planning to kill him.

Instead, Mugabe has decided to bring in the superficial witchcraft card, accusing Mujuru and former party provincial chairman Ray Kaukonde of consulting n’angas (traditional healers).

Analysts believe the assassination talk is a political gimmick being used to mobilise against Mujuru and her team to ostracise them adding that the allegations will fade away now that the congress is over.

Playwright Silvanos Bhanditi Mudzvova said the assassination accusations would fall away.

“…That is if the Mujuru camp remains in Zanu PF. If they decide to break away and form or join any political party, they will go to jail.”

Political analyst Mcdonald Lewanika said politics trumps law, and the purpose of allegations was not always to convict.

“It is to discredit and in that respect the allegations have served their purpose and Mujuru may never see her day in court, if she does and is not found guilty, it is neither here nor there because the purpose would have been served.”

A social commentator who refused to be named said the “assassination” formula is an age old strategy which has over stayed its welcome.

“Whenever anyone tries to raise their head, there are miracle workers who engineer a nonexistent plot just to silence people.

“It is like a lion blaming its cubs for smelling like goats to justify having them as prey. Remember Tsvangirai and the Ari Ben Menashe issue; remember the guys who are still in courts over similar trumped up charges just to silence them, and now this version.

“Whoever engineered this formula must think of other better ways of fooling the electorate than manufacturing falsehoods.

“They seem to have run short of ideas. These charges will fade away but they keep the file open to keep them under wraps.”

Political activist Tabani Moyo added that Mugabe kept the nation guessing on the seriousness of the allegations.

“However, the moment he began speaking out on the issue, the more the people of Zimbabwe realised that he wields the ‘Me… Self and Me…’ It is a crisis.

“Mugabe does not fathom anyone assuming office in his life time. It does not belong to 21st Century civilisation to lean on ‘n’angas’ for state crafts and national decisions. We pray for the day when civility is brought back to national polity.”

Blessing Ivan Vava said “We all know that such allegations are not new to Mugabe, but in this case, it’s congress and succession politics at play.

“Mugabe doesn’t want anyone to have ambitions to be president, the moment you express or show your interest it is taken as a coup.”

Arts practitioner Elton Mjanana is baffled by how Zanu PF deals with its issues. “I do not know how they deal with such issues in Zanu PF but in my house, I deal with it a lot, seeing as my kids are always crossing each other’s paths with regards their favourite toys and the TV remote.

“I always deal with them decisively. The moral behind my story is that the childish things in Zanu PF have reduced us to a nation of childish pranks.”

Another commentator said: “If he didn’t want her he would have long fired Joice because the constitution allows him to. Where in the world have you seen an (alleged) assassin being appointed acting president more than once by the person he/she wants to kill, honestly?”