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Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
Zanu-PF’s founding father and distinguished revolutionary Cde Robert Mugabe will always remain the country’s icon despite circumstances surrounding his retirement, a senior ruling party official has said.
Addressing zanu-pf Masvingo’s provincial inter-district conference at the Masvingo Polytechnic on Saturday, deputy national political commissar Cde Omega Hungwe said Cde Mugabe’s illustrious record could not be expunged from the history of Zimbabwe. Accordingly, she said, he deserved the respect that was due to him.
“We want to thank our new President Emmerson Mnangagwa for being brave and steadfast in the face of severe vilification,” she said. “The G40 cabal, which was led by Marujata (ex-First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe) and others, had usurped power to the extent of calling our President, who was then Vice President, names.
“Despite all that, we still regard Cde Mugabe as our icon. He is now an advisor, who President Mnangagwa can approach for advice. He is now an ordinary card-carrying member of zanu-pf.”
Cde Hungwe said Cde Mugabe had been “captured “ by the G40 cabal and disaster was looming in the party until the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, led by its then Commander and now Vice President General Constantino Chiwenga (Retired) intervened.
“Had it not been for VP Chiwenga, who intervened through ‘Operation Restore Legacy’, we could not have been here, all of us,” she said.
“Cde Chiwenga also saved President Mnangagwa’s life when he was poisoned in Gwanda (last year). He ordered an army helicopter to airlift him to Harare en-route to South Africa for specialist attention. The G40 criminals led by Marujata (Mrs Mugabe) had usurped his (Cde Mugabe) powers and the people’s choice – Cde Mnangagwa – was fired from his post, but within 14 days, he was back in the country to lead the nation.’’
Cde Hungwe challenged zanu-pf cadres to undergo reorientation at the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, which is led by the ruling party’s commissariat department. In future, said Cde Hungwe, no one would be allowed to hold political office in the party without going through the ideological mill.
“We have discovered that the majority of people who cause chaos in the party are ignorant of the ethos and principles of zanu-pf,” she said.
“To address this anomaly, we have the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology, where party members should undergo a three-week training exercise for them to understand party values.
“We want to make it mandatory that anyone who wants to be a Member of Parliament on a zanu-pf ticket or assume any senior position in the party, should possess a certificate from this school (Herbert Chitepo).’’
zanu-pf national political commissar Lieutenant-General Engelbert Rugeje (Rtd), said Cde Hungwe, would ensure that every member would undergone training to make sure problems like those caused by the G40 cabal did not happen again in future.
Online Reporter