UANC warns Mugabe infighting could escalate to bloodshed

By Blessings Mashaya

The United African National Council (UANC) opposition party has warned President Robert Mugabe that the country is set for deadly political infighting that could lead to bloodshed over the unresolved presidential succession.

UANC president Nesbert Mtengezanwa, the successor to the late Bishop Abel Muzorewa, who was prime minister in a short-lived pre-independence government, said Mugabe must successfully handle a managed transition, warning that Zimbabwe could be facing imminent catastrophe.

“…the country is burning…president,” Mtengezanwa warned in a petition received by the president’s press secretary on Monday.\

“Taking into consideration the infighting in your party, I can see bloodshed if you don’t play your cards correctly.”

Mugabe has not groomed any successor acceptable to the other factions and the next president will need to win the support of the regime’s main groups.

The UANC leader also savaged the widespread corruption among ruling party elites, the explosion of vendors across all CBDs, rising poverty and unemployment levels, and the dire economic conditions prevailing in the country.

Mtengezanwa said Mugabe was assisting sections of his Cabinet to loot public funds for the purposes of patronage.

Mugabe has revealed that the country earned, but failed to account for diamonds worth more than $15 billion in the eastern mining fields of Chiadzwa since 2008, highlighting government’s failure to curb looting that has helped to destroy a once thriving economy.

Mugabe said on State TV Treasury received less than $2 billion in diamond revenues despite earning over $15 billion.

As a result, Mtengezanwa said government departments were on their knees, with service delivery collapsing.

“Hospitals are suspending essential services such as surgical operations. There is no clean water in the country in virtually every area,” the petition reads.

“Citizens have been confined to earning peanuts as a way of living. Even those you resettled in farms are struggling, which has led some to cut trees for sale as firewood.

“You have officiated over the graduation of over 5 000 graduates this year alone and where do you think they are going to get employment?”

The UANC leader dared Mugabe to visit the CBD after hours and see how a vicious cycle of poverty had engulfed the livelihoods of ordinary Zimbabweans.

“As a president of a party that was at the Lancaster Conference that brought the sovereignty that you sing today, I am advising you to consider dialogue as a way of salvaging peace.”

UANC called for a National Transitional Authority to take over the running of the country until “fair” elections can be held.

“End the failure by your government to pay its workers on time by dissolving your government and calling for a political party’s conference to formulate a transitional government which will spearhead reforms paving way for credible elections,” he said.

He bemoaned the lack of democratic space and slow pace of electoral reforms. Daily News