Fearful Mnangagwa cancels celebrations

via Fearful Mnangagwa cancels celebrations – DailyNews Live 21 December 2014 by Lloyd Mbiba and Chengetai Zvauya

HARARE – Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa has cancelled round two of his victory celebrations that were scheduled to take place today at his Sherwood Farm, just outside Kwekwe.

Sources told the Daily News yesterday that the secretive Zanu PF stalwart had apparently taken this unexpected decision because he was allegedly afraid of antagonising President Robert Mugabe following the controversial and sycophantic praise that he received from his supporters at the Zvishavane bash.

In particular, politburo member and Psychomotor Minister Josaya Hungwe received vicious stick from lickspittle State media this week after he overzealously described Mnangagwa as “the son of man” at the Zvishavane do last week.

But Cornelius Mupereri, the Zanu PF Midlands Province spokesperson, said the celebrations had been cancelled because of urgent provincial meetings that conflicted with the celebrations.

“People thought that the celebrations will be held this weekend. But it is not going to be, so we shall have to organise for another weekend for the celebrations.

“There are two party meetings in the province chaired by Kizito Chivamba the acting provincial chairman that are going to take place, so we can’t have the celebrations,” Mupereri claimed.

Asked about the ugly incident in Zvishavane where party bigwigs who were perceived to be sympathetic to former Vice President Joice Mujuru were chased from the celebration, Mupereri said this would not occur again.

“I was in Zvishavane for the celebrations but I did not see that happening. I read about it in the newspaper. We don’t expect the incident that happened in Zvishavane to happen again,” Mupereri said.

John Holder, Zvishavane-Ngezi MP, also confirmed the cancelation of the Kwekwe celebrations, but gave a conflicting reason.

“I don’t remember that the celebrations were to be held this weekend.

There was never a date for the celebrations. It was just announced that they shall be held at another day at the Vice President’s farm.

“We were only informed of the party provincial meetings today. We hope that people  are not going to lie that they were chased away from the party when they come uninvited,” Holder added.

However, authoritative sources said today’s function was cancelled because the first one had been mired in controversy.

“There is a general feeling that what Hungwe said could have upset President Mugabe so we saw it wise to cancel the celebrations.

“The VP is scared to be seen as another Mujuru who wants to present himself as an alternative centre of power in Zanu PF to President Mugabe,” one of the sources who  requested anonymity said.

“With Mnangagwa acting as the president, if he is likened to Jesus again this would be viewed as a coup de tat on President Mugabe who is on holiday.

“Mnangagwa is keen on portraying himself as Mugabe’s loyal lieutenant, so the celebrations will no longer go on as scheduled because there are some overzealous politicians who will go out of their way to put the VP in trouble. So it’s safe to play it safe.

“Mind you, some ministers and ambassadors were chased away from the celebrations in Zvishavane and VP Mnangagwa had not approved this.

“Yet this move portrayed him in bad light, so I can tell you that the first round of celebrations did more damage to him than good and we saw it best to cancel the Sherwood celebrations,” the source added.

Lapdog State media — which had reserved its vitriolic attacks for Mujuru and her allies — panned Hungwe’s slavish hero-worshipping of Mnangagwa, saying this carried the danger of creating an alternative centre of power in Zanu PF and implying  that VP Mnangagwa was above Mugabe who had appointed him to his new position.

Mujuru was dethroned as Mugabe’s deputy for allegedly creating her own centre of power and undermining her boss.