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FORMER Vice-President, Joice Mujuru finally responded, very belatedly, on Sunday to serious accusations levelled against her in recent weeks. In a signed statement dated December 7 that she circulated in her favoured private media on Monday, Cde Mujuru probably thought she was answering several grave questions on her integrity as a person and politician but ended up confirming her many weaknesses.
Many of the questions she sought to respond to had been asked by none other than her principal, President Robert Mugabe. Other influential and well-informed citizens who have asked similar questions are the First Lady, Cde Grace Mugabe and Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairman, Cde Chris Mutsvangwa.
Two days after her unconvincing answers, the President fired her. Zimbabwe has had five vice-presidents since 1987 — Cdes Joshua Nkomo, Simon Muzenda, Joseph Msika and Landa John Nkomo — highly respected figures who died in office. Cde Mujuru, the fifth, goes down in history as the country first VP to be not only fired from government, but also to be toppled by the rank and file from her lofty number two post in the party, down to that of an ordinary card-carrying member.
Before her sacking yesterday, Cde Mujuru had been accused of high-level corruption and plotting to unseat the President through violence and witchcraft. It is these two key allegations that culminated in her spectacular fall. The grassroots and the party leadership rose against her over the past few weeks with her own district, Mt Darwin refusing to accept her for nomination to the Central Committee.
In her communication which left more questions than answers, Cde Mujuru portrays herself as a victim of sinister plots in the party yet the information that has been availed clearly shows that she was the impatient aggressor who orchestrated her own downfall. Instead of showing contrition for her actions, she tried to play the Iron Lady.
Firstly, she tried to respond to allegations that her conduct was treasonous, suggesting that there are infiltrators, not herself, who are out to destroy the party from within. She knows very well that everyone is aware that she has all along been styling herself as a “moderate” who could work with everyone, including the country’s traditional opponents. Wikileaks disclosures, which are genuine communications between the US embassy in Harare and their government back home, have exposed her leanings towards hostile powers and secret plans to work with them against the President. Also, a formal report of the party that was presented to congress last week details her attempts at some point to convene Politburo and Cabinet meetings in President Mugabe’s absence despite the fact that only the President can constitutionally call such meetings. That was an attempted coup which highlights her broader destructive agenda.
On claims that she, or her closest allies worked on her behalf, to assassinate President Mugabe she knows very well that former Politburo member who was reportedly her point-man on that, Cde Nicholas Goche immediately fell sick after details of their plot were exposed. There are witnesses who heard him threatening gunfire at congress. Indeed, Cde Goche is a third party to this, but politics does not operate like a court of law.
Regarding accusations that she was incompetent, she answers in two points. She claims that the facts that she addressed 43 campaign rallies in the run-up to the July 31, 2013 elections, losing four kilogrammes of her weight in the process and that she has been VP for 10 years is enough evidence that she is competent as VP. Only she, and no one else, genuinely believes that addressing rallies, and losing weight as a result, equals competence.
But President Mugabe told her in advance that she was incompetent. He actually apologised for appointing her VP.
“We raise you in the struggle, grant you leadership, build your stature and impart consequence to your person, often against your intrinsic worth,” said the President on Thursday officially opening the party’s 6th National People’s Congress in remarks apparently directed at Cde Mujuru. This is her principal issuing a summarised assessment of her capability. The key phrase in his assessment is “against your intrinsic worth.”
Cde Mujuru also highlighted that she missed congress because she feared for her life. It is interesting that on the day she signed her statement, she found time to go to Stodart Hall where hundreds of ruling party cadres were gathered to mourn national hero, Cde Lloyd Kotsho Dube. If she genuinely feared for her life, she would not have gone to the hall, which is situated in Mbare.
She spoke, in her statement, exactly like MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai does when trying to deflect criticism against him. She correctly says Zimbabweans are looking for solutions to their challenges such as acquiring food, restoring electricity and so on but doesn’t tell us what she has done to that end herself.
Perhaps by smuggling millions worth of genetically-modified, tasteless chicken from Brazil and maize from South Africa she created jobs for Zimbabweans, not externalised them, and brought food on their tables, not administered slow poison on them and promoted their agriculture sector!
Online Reporter