Major blow for Mugabe
Well-placed sources told the Daily News yesterday that the mission, led by the chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahammat, was “scornful” of Mugabe’s complaints to them — a sentiment that they immediately conveyed to senior government officials soon after their meeting with the 94-year-old.
Mugabe had apparently hoped to solicit sympathy from the AU and provoke “a storm of outrage” in Zimbabwe and on the continent after he complained bitterly to the visiting delegation about not being treated well by the government, as well as allegedly not receiving some of his five-star retirement benefits.
Tellingly, Mahammat told reporters soon after meeting Mugabe that the nonagenarian was happy with the way he was being treated by Mnangagwa’s government — effectively “pooh-poohing” Zimbabwe’s former long-ruling leader’s complains.
Among other people, last week’s Blue Roof meeting is said to have been attended by Mugabe’s wife Grace, AU Political Affairs Commissioner Minata Samate Cessouma, Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, chief secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda, and Zimbabwe’s former ambassador to Namibia Chipo Zindoga.
Two sources who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said Mahammat had met with Mnangagwa soon after his courtesy call on Mugabe — a meeting that was also attended by Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Foreign Affairs minister Retired Lieutenant-General Sibusiso Moyo, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa, as well as Mpofu and Sibanda.
It was in this meeting that Mahammat had apparently made it clear that he did not think much of Mugabe’s complaints — saying scathingly that the nonagenarian had made “selfish arguments” that indicated that he only cared for his own welfare and was not interested in the well-being of the nation at large.
Asked for a comment and why Mugabe had complained of ill-treatment and being denied some of his retirement benefits, presidential spokesperson George Charamba told the Daily News yesterday that he couldn’t “comment on leaked information because I don’t know if it’s authentic in the first place”.
But one of the authoritative sources who spoke to this newspaper said it was also clear that “Mugabe’s moans” to the AU had been influenced by Grace, who had apparently become “a very negative influence” on her doddering husband.
“Interestingly, pavakapedza kuita macomplaints avo iwawo, he turned to mukadzi wacho akati ‘ndataura zvose here?’ … saka hapana anozvitora serious zvaari kutaura … ndopolitics dziripo apa (When Mugabe finished his address to the AU mission he inquired with Grace if he had left out anything … this is why no one is taking him seriously … That’s the politics here),” the senior government official said.
The other source also claimed that former Cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo was “part of this silly plot” to try and get Sadc and the AU to intervene in Zimbabwe.
“If you talk to vakuru varipo iye zvino (Mnangagwa), vanotaura kuti kana amai (Grace) vasipo, tinonyatsonzwisisana zvakanaka and you can see idea yacho it was to raise maissues, leak the material kunana Jonathan, so as to bolster the petition to AU. Amai ndovaka leaker information yemacomplaints.
(The new administration knows that if they engage Mugabe without Grace, they always come to an understanding with him. The idea to leak details of that meeting was to bolster the G40s’ petition to the AU. We know it is Grace who leaked details of that meeting).
The first source also told the Daily News that Mahmmat had allegedly told Mnangagwa that Mugabe’s demeanour in their meeting had reminded him of an unwell Habib Bourguiba — who was Tunisia’s leader from independence in 1956 to 1987.
Bourguiba was removed from power after he became too mentally incapacitated to carry out his duties, in what was known as a “medical coup d’état”.
Mahmmat reportedly told Mnangagwa: “What I heard from President Mugabe reminded me of Bourguiba”.
“Saka ukaona mukuru achimuka achipfeka svutu (So, if you see Mugabe waking up every morning wearing a suit) and behaving as if he is a sitting president, you can see kuti pane (there is a) problem ye (of) adjustment,” the first source said — completely rubbishing the complaints by Mugabe that he was not being well taken care of.
“You also need to ask what he (Mugabe) left in the coffers. Even macivil servants anga asingawani mari yavo when it was due. Mapensioners anga achienda months on end asina mari (when Mugabe was in power, civil servants and pensioners weren’t being paid on time). Suddenly, he is one of them and he is realising how painful it is to keep a pensioner unpaid.
“Hausi kuona here kuti (Can’t you see) that’s a very selfish argument and that’s exactly what the AU guy also said,” the insider said.
“Presentation yevakuru ava yanga ichingoti I, I, I, you know. Hapana paanga achimbotaura nezvenyika bodo. It was just mawelfare issues avo (Mugabe’s presentation was only about himself and his welfare, and not once did he mention the country and fellow citizens).
“Meanwhile, that whole place, that huge mansion of his is running efficiently on the basis of State resources. And you complain about pension yawanga usingapi vamwe who were entitled to it, and vanga vari mumaconditions anga ari worse than ako.
“So really, it’s a combination of old age, and a bit of greediness on the part of amai vari kupusher murume wavo.
“And do you know the interesting thing is, they were throwing a lavish party ye birthday … ndozvinoita vanhu vasina mari yepension ivavo, huh. Come on!
“Can’t you see the whole thing is not adding up?” the top official said, adding however that he hoped Mnangagwa would exercise restraint in dealing with Mugabe.
“I just hope vanoita moyo murefu. Kana munhu ava pa age iyoyo aine mukadzi who is irresponsible munotozvidzora ndimi mega. Otherwise, they will lose each other and it will be very bad.
“So really, veku AU just dismissed the whole thing and everything about him (Mugabe) … I mean, the State is battling to make sure kuti it functions like a normal state, where people are paid on time … and we are there already … So, what’s so special about him (Mugabe) when he is living off the State like that? You should also not forget kuti ndiye akaita create ma circumstances where things are this parlous, handiti?” DailyNews
