Zanu-PF under former President Robert Mugabe was going to lose the forthcoming harmonised elections, a senior party official has said.
Addressing a Midlands province inter-district meeting at the Zanu-PF Conventional Centre in Gweru last Friday, the ruling party’s deputy political commissar Omega Hungwe said Zanu-PF was going to lose dismally to the opposition if Mugabe had remained the party leader.
Mugabe turns 94 next month.
“Sure you lied to him that he could lead the party in the coming elections.
“We have some party members in here, you were leading in endorsing his candidature and that was very unfortunate for the party. At 94 where do you think we would have won the election?
“You all lied to him and yourselves,” she said.
“We were going to be trounced left, right and centre by the opposition. Mugabe was going to be the opposition’s ammunition to thrash us.
“Mugabe is now old and should be playing with his grandchildren as he is doing now and not to be actively involved in politics. That’s why you had people like Kasukuwere taking advantage of him as a grandfather.”
Hungwe said a former Minister was tasked by the G40 to hire a hitman to kill Emmerson Mnangagwa using money which was found stashed in his house when soldiers pounced on him.
“Money was stashed in his house. We later learnt that the money was supposed to pay a hitman to assassinate President Mnangagwa.
“They tried by all means to kill the President. They even poisoned him,” she said.
Hungwe said Zanu-PF members were losing focus due to lack of ideology caused by the G40 cabal’s activities.
She said President Mnangagwa will hold mass mobilisation rallies to rejuvenate provinces.
“The President has said elections will be held in five months and we have a short time to prepare for the election. We must use that time wisely. The President is also going to hold rallies in provinces and you should therefore put your structures in order,” said Cde Hungwe.
Hungwe said the issue of co-opting people into the party had worked against the party before.
“It’s rather unfortunate that some of these members belonging to the G40 cabal like Letina Undenge from Manicaland and Daniel Shumba from Masvingo were co-opted into the party and went on to work towards destroying it from within with the likes of Jonathan Moyo and Saviour Kasukuwere. So such co-option should be stopped. If it can’t be avoided such people should first go through the Chitepo Ideological College for orientation,” she said.