By Lloyd Mbiba
HARARE – Emmerson Mnangagwa, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister, has revealed that Ian Smith’s soldiers damaged one of his ears in a torture session during the liberation struggle.
Mnangagwa pleaded with senators on Thursday during a question and answer session to bear with him as he had a hearing impairment.
“Again madam President, you know, during the war when I was captured, they destroyed one of my ears,” Mnangagwa said.
“So, I am using one and the one I am using is this side and you are talking from the other side.
“So, you should understand.”
It is just the latest revelation of Mnangagwa’s war exploits after he was spared the gallows for allegedly sabotaging a locomotive train in Fort Victoria.
A group which included Mnangagwa, William Ndangana, Victor Mlambo, James Dhlamini and Master Tresha, which was referred to as the “Crocodile Gang”, allegedly blew up a locomotive in the present day city of Masvingo and was convicted under the Law and Order Maintenance Act.
Mnangagwa was defended by J. J. Horn of Scanlen and Holderness who pleaded that he was under 21 and could not be executed. As a result, he was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
After serving his 10-year sentence, he was further detained at Khami and then at Harare Prison together with other nationalists such as President Robert Mugabe, Enos Nkala, Maurice Nyagumbo, Edgar Tekere and Didymus Mutasa.
He was then deported to Zambia where his parents were.
Turning to the question posed by Matabeleland South senator Watchy Sibanda, he said his ministry was preparing a CDF Bill that will be tabled before Parliament soon.
“I think you were asking what has happened to Constituency Development Fund (CDF)?” Mnangagwa said.
“I thank the honourable senator for the question. The concept of CDF was mooted under the Inclusive Government, which other people call the GNU but officially it is called Inclusive Government,” he said.
“However, there was no legislation to back that concept and we are now in the process of crafting legislation to regulate CDF.
“So, we shall bring the bill here that will govern and regulate CDF. This is why in the current budget we do not have funds for CDF.” Daily News