‘Mugabe risks isolation’ – Mutodi

By Tendai Kamhungira

Outspoken Zanu PF activist and businessman Energy Mutodi says President Robert Mugabe will soon find himself standing alone if he continues protecting the generation 40 (G40) faction.

He cited Mugabe’s much  publicised fallout with former freedom fighters as a harbinger of worse things to come if he does not endear himself with those in Zanu PF who are against the G40 faction.

Zanu PF is divided along two antagonistic factions, the G40 and Team Lacoste faction which are fighting to succeed the increasingly frail nonagenarian.

Writing on his official Facebook page, the politician-cum-musician said Mugabe has failed to turn around the country’s fortunes and should consider stepping down.

“The president has also recently shown signs of poor reasoning after he fell prey to a G40-led ploy to isolate him from his support base, mainly war veterans who delivered the country’s independence,” Mutodi said.

War veterans who were backing Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa were expelled from the ruling party last year and went on to serve the nonagenarian with divorce papers ending a long relationship that predated the country’s independence in 1980.

“The veteran president who is the country’s only ruler since independence from Britain in 1980 has presided over a dying economy mainly due to his poor policies, corruption and economic mismanagement.

“Among these policies include the land reform and the indigenisation policies that do not only scare away investors but also breed unemployment and poverty.  Zimbabwe no longer has a currency of its own and millions of its people have fled to other countries in search of employment and better standards of living,” Mutodi said.

The businessman was however full of praises for Mnangagwa whom he claims is the best politburo member in Zanu PF, while his counterpart Phelekezela Mphoko he says is the worst.

Mutodi ranked Mugabe fourth saying that the Zanu PF leader’s failure to name a successor and also his habit of shielding corrupt government officials makes him a bad leader.

He further accuses Mugabe of protecting Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo, following allegations that the former Information and Media minster siphoned over $400 000 from the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund.

“He (Mugabe) has also been accused of nepotism after he appointed his son-in-law Simba Chikore as new Air Zimbabwe boss,” Mutodi said.

Mutodi, who is regarded as an ally of Mnangagwa and the Team Lacoste faction said the Midlands godfather is likely to take over from Mugabe this year, adding that he has attracted the support of the Chinese, the British and the Americans and has been actively involved in re-engagement efforts.

He said Mugabe is presiding over an economy where parents cannot afford to send their children to school, pay medical bills or bury their relatives in a decent manner.

“Most Zimbabwean youths find it hard to make ends meet and survive through prostitution and cross-border trading while Mugabe and his ministers enjoy lavish overseas holidays with their families,” he said. Daily News