Zimpapers Logo

President Emmerson Mnangagwa

Farirai Machivenyika, Harare Bureau
Members of the National Assembly on Thursday congratulated President Emmerson Mnangagwa on his ascension to the country’s top job in November.

The legislators extended the congratulations while debating a motion moved by Mutasa South legislator Cde Irene Zindi to congratulate the President.

“I want to congratulate President Mnangagwa as the second executive President of Zimbabwe,” said Cde Zindi. “I want to be mindful of the fact that change is a necessity and we need to embrace it.”

Cde Zindi said President Mnangagwa had demonstrated maturity by withstanding insults from the G40 cabal led by former First Lady Grace Mugabe.

“Despite the nasty words that were hurled at him he kept his cool,” she said. “He demonstrated political maturity in his inauguration speech by calling for non-retribution and revenge.”

Retired Brigadier General Epmarcus Kanhanga (Zanu-PF Guruve North) echoed similar sentiments, saying President Mnangagwa was a results driven person who had already shown his inclination towards hard work.

“The President is the sort of person who will not waste another day, another week or another month in coming to grips with issues on the national agenda,” he said.

“As we speak, he has laid out initiatives towards the economic recovery of the nation and committing to combating corruption, promoting good governance and revamping of non-performing parastatals.”

Mazowe South legislator Cde Fortune Chasi (Zanu-PF) said President Mnangagwa had shown that he is a survivor after withstanding humiliation.

“Congratulations are in order to the President because we are all familiar with the humiliation that he was subjected to,” he said. “Not many of us can withstand that humiliation because it was a first time for a Vice President sitting together with his wife to be humiliated left, right and centre like he did, and remain calm.”

Cde Chasi said despite the humiliation, President Mnangagwa remained loyal to President Mugabe up to the time he was fired from Government and expelled from Zanu-PF.

Mabvuku-Tafara legislator Mr James Maridadi accused some Zanu-PF legislators of falling over each other in congratulating the President, yet they plotted against him when he faced the G40 cabal onslaught.

“These people who are going to his offices and sending congratulatory messages are wolves in sheep clothes, they don’t like him, but like his power,” he said.

“Just a week before President Mnangagwa ascended to power, the car park (at Parliament) was full of vehicles emblazoned with the face of former   President Mugabe and some inscribed ‘munhu wese kuna amai’.

“It is the same people who are now falling over each other in congratulating him.”