HARARE – Gokwe Nembudziya MP and renowned President Emmerson Mnangagwa key ally during his persecution by the Generation 40 (G40) faction — Justice Mayor Wadyajena — has slammed Zanu PF officials and opportunists who are stampeding each other to get the new leader’s attention.
This comes as Mnangagwa is yet to announce his eagerly-awaited Cabinet which political and economic analysts have said would give a clearer indication of how he intends to steer the country forward.
Since last week, when Mnangagwa returned from self-imposed exile in neighbouring South Africa to assume leadership of Zanu PF and his subsequent swearing in as the new head of State, well-known political opportunists have been trying to grab his attention through different means.
“Those falling all over each other pledging loyalty to president ED are just brutes playing meek. If you really are principled, there’s no reason to bootlick, your conduct should speak for itself.
“We’ve seen the danger of personalising governance and gate keeping a national figure,” Wadyajena vented his anger on micro blogging site, Twitter.
Mnangagwa was sacked from government by former president Robert Mugabe on November 6, before being also axed from Zanu PF at the party’s politburo two days later — ending a five-decade plus relationship with the nonagenarian.
The 75-year-old strongman’s political career was quickly written off by both his rabid critics and some of his allies who made a beeline to former first lady Grace Mugabe’s Mazowe Orphanage where they asked for forgiveness for having hobnobbed with Mnangagwa.
Although Wadyajena did not mention party members who are stampeding to catch the eye of Mnangagwa, the Daily News can also report that since last Thursday there has been shuttling of politicians from offices of those thought to be close to ED and advisors.
On Thursday, ahead of Mnangagwa’s inauguration, dozens of youths and a few members of the women’s league from Masvingo and Bulawayo were restrained from engaging in physical blows.
In one of the embarrassing incidents, an influential youth official from Bulawayo caused commotion at the Rainbow Towers lounge and foyer, respectively, when he was involved in altercations with party colleagues over a VVIP card to Mnangagwas’s inauguration.
He claimed he had done a lot for Mnangagwa including organising the booing of Grace during the Zanu PF interface rally in Bulawayo on November 4 and therefore was entitled to have a card to sit in the VVIP section which housed foreign dignatiries.
The official only calmed down after he spoke with someone he referred to as commander during a not-so-civil telephone conversation.
Other incidents include claims by senior Zanu PF officials who have gone to newspapers to try and portray themselves as having waged a bitter and brutal fight against the G40 to secure Mnangagwa’s victory.
Mnangagwa has promised an all-inclusive and united Zimbabwe during his tenure in a speech that has been widely hailed both locally and internationally.
