Mnangagwa blocked from leaving Zimbabwe

By Bernard Chiketo and Fungi Kwaramba

Former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa was subjected to a thorough security search yesterday before he was stopped from leaving Zimbabwe for the Mozambican port city of Beira by police manning the Forbes Border Post in Mutare.

Apart from blocking Mnangagwa from leaving Zimbabwe for Mozambique, suspected intelligence operatives and plain-clothed police officers also held and detained one of his sons, David, for several hours — in ominous developments which analysts said yesterday spell big problems for the once untouchable former Zanu PF strongman.

The Daily News had not been able to establish at the time of going to press last night what Mnangagwa’s mission to Mozambique was about. But earlier in the day, there had been false social media claims that he had fallen seriously ill from stress on Monday and that he had been rushed to South Africa for medical treatment.

But authoritative sources told the newspaper that Mnangagwa had been barred from leaving for Mozambique yesterday morning, after his entourage presented a departure pass for five people — with border security details apparently claiming that they were under “strict instructions” to stop him from leaving the country.

The 75-year-old former VP subsequently aborted his trip and returned to Harare after the situation deteriorated into “deadly chaos”, amid fears of violence.

Another one of Mnangagwa’s sons — who was part of his advance team — was said to have crossed the border well before the former VP and his entourage arrived at the border.

Eyewitnesses told the Daily News that Mnangagwa had sensed trouble when his luxurious Mercedes Benz ML was subjected to a 20-minute search by Interpol and local police details just after 0700 hours.

As this commotion escalated, he had apparently alighted from the vehicle and proceeded to stand on the side, as the security details feverishly combed through his vehicle. It could not be established what the police were looking for.

Dressed in a black Poor Boy cap and brown suit, Mnangagwa apparently began walking back to the Zim border entry point, after realising that he would not be allowed to leave the country.

The eyewitnesses said at that point a police detail had shouted at him, ordering him to stop —  prompting another cop to run after the former VP.

“The second police officer caught him and immediately released him upon realising who he was … a few minutes later, another ZRP Support Unit officer stepped forward and appeared to cock his AK47 rifle, seemingly ready to fire at Ngwena’s (Mnangagwa’s) vehicle tyres, before one of his aides grabbed the gun and floored the officer,” one of the eyewitnesses claimed.

Soon after, Mnangagwa’s entourage got into their vehicle and sped off, with two other cars following them.

Mozambican immigration officials who spoke to the Daily News last night confirmed that one of his sons who was in an advance party had managed to gain entry into their country.

A close relative of Mnangagwa also told the Daily News last night that the former VP was back at his Harare home.

Immigration Department principal director, Clemence Masango, referred questions to his colleagues at the Forbes Border Post.

Police spokesperson for Manicaland Tavhiringwa Kakova said he was in Harare and could therefore not comment on what had happened.

On her part, national police spokesperson Charity Charamba said she was on leave.

Mnangagwa was fired by President Robert Mugabe on Monday, in a decision which surprised many Zimbabweans who had erroneously believed that the former VP would be dumped after Zanu PF’s December elective conference. 

Breaking the news of Mnangagwa’s sacking, the minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, Simon Khaya Moyo, said Mugabe had used the powers vested in him by the Constitution to relieve the former VP of his duties.

“I have just come from State House and I need to convey a message to you all, and I hope you will report as accurately as you can without any additions or subtractions. The statement is on Vice President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and this is in relation to termination of employment as vice president,” he told a packed press conference.

“As a result, and in accordance with the national charter, amendment number 28, of 2013, Mugabe has exercised his powers to relieve Mnangagwa of his position with immediate effect.

“It had become evident that his conduct in the discharge of his duties had become inconsistent with his responsibilities. The vice president had consistently and persistently exhibited traits of disloyalty, disrespect, deceitfulness and unreliability. He has also demonstrated little probity in the execution of his duties,” Khaya Moyo said.

Mnangagwa thus became the shortest-serving vice president in Zimbabwe’s history. He had been appointed to his position in December 2014, and would have celebrated his third anniversary as Mugabe’s deputy next month.

Joice Mujuru, whom he succeeded as vice president in 2014, served for more than 10 years before she was dismissed from both the ruling party and the government.

Before Mujuru, the other vice presidents in independent Zimbabwe served in the position until their deaths. This applied to Joshua Nkomo, Simon Muzenda, Joseph Msika and John Nkomo.

Mnangagwa had been Mugabe’s aide for more than five decades and many people were beginning to see him as a shoo-in to succeed the Zanu PF leader.

However, and particularly since the beginning of this year, it had become evident that the relationship between the two men had become increasingly strained and untenable.

With Zanu PF divided in the middle over the party’s unresolved succession riddle, the factional feuds took an ominous turn in August when Mnangagwa fell sick during an interface rally in Gwanda — which his backers said was allegedly a poison attack by his G40 enemies.

The Midlands godfather was later airlifted to South Africa where he received emergency surgery. He subsequently issued a statement denying that his illness was caused by ice cream from the First Family’s Gushungo Dairies, although he has consistently suggested that he was indeed poisoned.

In the past few weeks, First Lady Grace Mugabe cranked up the heat on Mnangagwa, accusing him of fanning factionalism, being a coward and also occupying a position that should be reserved for a woman.

As such, Grace and her allies have been baying for his head before the party’s special congress to be held in Harare from December 12 to 17.

A few weeks ago, Mugabe also stripped Mnangagwa of the ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs portifolio, in what was a harbinger of worse things to come for the once-feared former freedom fighter.

Mnangagwa had also given up his position as Member of Parliament for Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe when he was appointed vice president in 2014. His wife, Auxillia, succeeded him in the constituency. Daily News