Zimpapers Logo

President Mnangagwa

Mutare Bureau
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairperson Cde Chris Mutsvangwa has implored Zimbabweans to come “on board President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s train” as the new leader embarks on the revival of the country’s economy.

Speaking at the funeral of his brother-in-law, Mr Clifford Parirenyatwa, in Gombakomba, Mutare, Cde Mutsvangwa said everyone, irrespective of colour, creed and political affiliation, was invited to be part of the new era.

Mr Parirenyatwa was the provincial head of Informal Education (Harare Province). “We have opened a new page and we are saying come and cling onto the wheels, so that when the train starts moving, you are not left behind,” Cde Mutsvangwa told mourners gathered at the funeral, who included the former War Veterans and Restrictees Minister, Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube.

“The new President is a hands on man and I can assure you that what he said in his inaugural speech last Friday is what he is going to do.”

Cde Mutsvangwa said after President Mnangagwa was axed from his post of Vice President and Second Secretary of Zanu-PF, he got a tip-off that he had also been targeted for elimination.  “I secretly and quietly slipped out of the country, and went to South Africa where we worked from behind the scenes in support of the military intervention.”

“We briefed the South Africans and corrected the perception that the Sadc chairperson and SA President Mr Jacob Zuma had earlier on that there was a military coup in Zimbabwe. We told President Zuma, through his intelligence, that Mugabe was still the President.”

Cde Robert Mugabe resigned as President of Zimbabwe on November 21 after 37 years in power.

Speaking at the same occasion, Rtd Col Dube revealed that it was him and other comrades based in Bulawayo who organised youths to boo the then First Lady Grace Mugabe once she started to denigrate President Mnangagwa. “Let me tell you some secret,” he said. “Something you and the rest of Zimbabweans did not know. We organised and sent our Bulawayo youths to the Youths Interface Rally.

“We instructed them that once Grace starts denigrating then VP Mnangagwa, boo her and boo her loudly. It worked. You all saw how they reacted on television. I have never seen Mugabe so angry. He was shaking with anger and that is how we wanted it to pan out. They had exerted so much pressure on Cde Mnangagwa and his wife (Cde Auxillia Mnangagwa) and we said enough is enough.’’

The booing of the former First Lady made former President Mugabe so angry that he threatened to fire President Mnangagwa from the vice presidency the following day.

Indeed, the firing came after a day and triggered the events that led to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces intervening to save the party and the country from the G40 cabal that had hijacked the former President.

Mr Parirenyatwa died in a car accident in the early hours of Wednesday last week when the vehicle he and two other people were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a heavy truck.

All three of them died on the spot.