Apologise or face the boot, Grace tells Mujuru

By Staff Reporter

The factional battles within Zanu PF went up a notch on Thursday after First Lady Grace Mugabe publicly tore into Vice President Joice Mujuru telling her she must apologise to President Mugabe or risk being dumped for her “divisive” activities.

In the clearest sign that President Mugabe and his wife have taken sides in the factional battles within Zanu PF, Grace went on to accuse Mujuru of engaging in illegal diamond dealings, extorting shareholding in some companies, demanding 10 percent bribes and undermining the authority of President Mugabe.

“The person leading factions is the same person who accuses me of being involved in diamond deals, yet it is them that own a diamond mine. That person also moves around saying I want to acquire money using unscrupulous means when it is known that I started my businesses from scratch.

“It is that same person who goes around demanding 10 percent shareholding in companies. If you go to any company now, the name of that person is mentioned. You lead factions, you extort companies and you are involved in illicit diamond deals, so you cannot say you are not corrupt,” Grace Mugabe said of the VP.

Grace Mugabe’s speech was punctuated by chants of “pasi neGamatox” from the fired up crowd. She continued her tirade against the VP claiming the factionalism “demon” had originated in Mashonaland Central, were Mujuru comes from.

“Ndakati ini kunaBaba baby-dumping munoiziva here? Vakati ehe. Ndakati munhu iyeye arikutungamira factionalism tirikuda kuti muite baby-dumping. Mukasamudumper isusu tichamudumper. Tichaita isu baby-dumping nekuti zvinodivider musangano

(I told the President that if you do not dump that faction leader we will dump her ourselves),” said Amai Mugabe.

“Tonodumper mwana mustreet ogodyiwa nemagora nekuti kana takuita expose kana nhunzi chaidzo ukange wafa apo hadzidi kutombosvika padhuze newe nokuti dzinenge dzakutotya corruption iri pauri. Nhunzi chaidzo, kana imbwa chaidzo dzinenge dzakutotya kusvika padhuze

(We will dump her in the streets and she will be eaten by vultures and no one will come close because of corruption)”.

“Zvese zvekuti Gamatox tirikutaura madimikira, but richasvika zuva rekuti tichataura kuti taibvira ani.

“Some of you had chances (to lead) but you are doing harm to yourselves because of greediness,” she said.

“Kana urikuzvinzwa nemaadvisor ako ikoko simuka uende kuna Baba Mugabe unoti zvandanga ndichiita ndasiya pasi ndachera chikomba ndisvipire

Go to the President together with your advisors and apologise).”

“You cannot continue denying that you lead a faction every day. Wherever you are, go together with your cronies go and apologise (to the President) before it is too late because the President is also fed up with these issues.”

Despite these remarks Grace Mugabe did not say anything about the other faction in the party led by Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Current Zanu PF Women’s League Chair Oppah Muchinguri from the Mnangagwa faction openly boasted that she had stepped down for the First Lady to take over in order to stop Mujuru’s march to the presidency.

Grace Mugabe said Mujuru had been angered by her nomination to lead the Women’s League, yet many people had also campaigned for her to be Vice President. “We campaigned for you not only last year, but over the years, but now it is a war because I have been nominated,” she said.

“I am the President’s wife and I have influence and I am also able to talk to people like you do. I do not think anything good would come out if I mobilise people to go in the streets and dump you.”

Grace Mugabe said some people took advantage because they were in leadership positions, resulting in some buying shares in newspapers for them to write bad articles about her.

“Iye munhu mukuru, mukadzi mukuru ndiye arikuorganiser vamwe vanhu kunotorera vanhu mugodhi wavo. This should end. You should draw wisdom from those who are capable not to going around gossiping,” she said.

Those who live in glass houses, Grace Mugabe said, should not throw stones.

“We know there is factionalism and that there is one person who is leading, so if that person does not listen to what we are saying the moment of truth will come,” she said.

“The youths even said to me that we should expose the person leading factions, but I told them to wait until the right time comes. When I came here people told me that they had been instructed not to welcome me. But whether or not you smile at me it does not matter.”

Grace Mugabe said provincial youth chairpersons from Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland East had been instructed to snub her rallies.

“They were told not to follow me, but ndoda kuvaudza kuti kusina mai hakuendwe. When you came in did I ever instruct anyone not to follow you? We know what you are afraid of. The problem is that such people surround themselves with foolish people,” she said.

Grace Mugabe said as a mother, she had come to “panel beat” the revolutionary party as some people were losing direction.

“Those positions which you hold were given to you and you can be removed. It is possible,” she said.

Grace castigated a senior politician and his wife who were in the habit of selling party regalia which should be given for free.

“We know that you went to China and ordered containers of the regalia which you are selling. Stop it. You are using the President’s name for corruption purposes. All those you sold the regalia to are coming back to you. Isa musoro wemurume wako tione kuti rinotengwa here,” she said.