CIO’s thwart anti-Grace Mugabe demo

The infighting within President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party escalated after youths aligned to one of the bickering factions allegedly organized a demonstration against the First Lady Grace Mugabe on Tuesday.

According to state media reports Zanu-PF Harare provincial executive leaders hired five kombis yesterday with activists and members of the Mbare Chimurenga Choir to demonstrate against the First Lady.

It is further claimed that Zanu-PF Politburo member Tendai Savanhu, provincial chairman Amos Midzi and two other provincial executive members Christopher Chigumba and Noah Mangondo hired the kombis.

The youths were wielding placards with messages like: “Tichapedzerana (we will sort you out)”, “Dirai Rese Gamatox (intensify the poison)”, “Pasi nemakuhwa (down with gossip)” and “NaJonso Tichapedzerana (We will deal with Jonso – colloquial for Prof Jonathan Moyo)”.

Members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) thwarted the intended demonstration by stopping them from accessing the VIP enclosure. Savanhu however rubbished the reports of a planned demo against the First Lady.

“Do you think that is possible? Would the country’s security just fold its arms and allow that to happen. Harare province organised a successful rally for the First Lady two weeks ago where she even united people. Why then would we want to demonstrate against her?”

“We know that there are some people who are pushing their agendas to try and tarnish our names,” he said. “We now no longer lose sleep over that. Tava kungotarisa zvedu tichiti nyorai zvenyu zvamunoda.”

Meanwhile its reported Grace Mugabe again refused to shake hands with Vice President Joice Mujuru at the airport.

Globetrotting Mugabe and his wife had arrived back from Italy where they had gone to witness the beatification of Pope Paul VI at the Vatican.

Mujuru was at the airport together with other ministers and just as Grace Mugabe snubbed shaking her hand when they left for Italy she did the same on arrival back.

Relations between the two are at an all time low after the First Lady used her rallies in the past weeks to openly attack the VP accusing her of corruption and fanning factionalism within Zanu PF.