Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Sunday poured defamatory statements against his ousted rival Joice Mujuru as he alleged she was last year plotting to kill President Robert Mugabe. He made these statements herewith published in the official government broadsheet. It was not clear at the time of writing what Mujuru’s reaction is going to be following this development.
REPORT by the State Media:
Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed that former Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Cde Kudakwashe Bhasikiti was sacked for raising funds for a failed plot to kill President Mugabe at the behest of former Vice-President Dr Joice Mujuru.
Cde Bhasikiti, VP Mnangagwa said, secured the funding from lowveld sugar producer Tongaat Hulett and the country’s sole lithium producer, Bikita Minerals.
Speaking during the official launch of the campaign for Zanu-PF’s Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe MP designate, Cde Auxilia Mnangagwa, VP Mnangagwa said Cde Bhasikiti was being used as a point man to secure funding from the sugarcane company and the mine to sponsor the failed project to overthrow President Mugabe either at the congress or through assassination.
Cde Bhasikiti last week became the 17th minister to be fired by President Mugabe “for conduct inconsistent with his duties and functions”.
“In terms of Section 108 (1a) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, the President, has terminated the employment of Honourable Kudakwashe Bhasikiti Chuma as Minister of State for Masvingo Province as his conduct had become inconsistent with his prescribed duties and functions. The termination is with immediate effect,” Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda said in a statement on Thursday night.
VP Mnangagwa said the Government would soon take remedial action against Tongaat Hulett and Bikita Minerals for funding the treasonous project.
“We are aware that Tongaat Hulett and Bikita Minerals were sponsoring maGamatox (Mujuru cabal) for its botched project to topple President Mugabe through unscrupulous and uncouth means. I am sure you heard that President Mugabe recently relieved Cde Bhasikiti of his duties.
“That was the reason because he was involved in that project of funding for the mission to assassinate President Mugabe. We are definitely going to deal with them. Hatichaiti zvedu zvepfuti asi tichaona zvekuita (We will deal with them),” he said.
VP Mnangagwa said all members of the party that had either been relieved of their duties or suspended and still wanted to be part of Zanu-PF should apologise and repent before being re-accepted by the party.
He said no one was indispensable and Zanu-PF would not go to the suspended members begging them to come back to the party.
“Those that still want to be part of us must reform and come and apologise and show remorse. No one is supposed to go and beg them to rejoin the party. It is cold out there. No one has ever disobeyed the party leaders and violated the constitution and became successful. We have living examples of failed politicians who walked out of the party and became miserable,” he said.
VP Mnangagwa said the Government had remained committed to reviving the economy by ensuring that all strategic national developmental projects were fully implemented and commenced with immediate effect.
He said the Government was intensifying the implementation of 23 strategic projects that include a platinum project in Zvimba and New ZimSteel that were prioritised to ensure immediate revitalisation of the economy.
VP Mnangagwa said the Government would soon merge all diamond companies operating in Chiadzwa to form either a single or two strong companies that would efficiently and sustainably extract the mineral resources in the area.
He said the country must benefit from the diamonds and other depleting resources that would soon be extinct.
VP Mnangagwa said the country was losing potential revenue to gold leakages that were recently discovered by Government.
“We are intensifying the implementation of Zim Asset. We are going to merge all the diamond mines so that we are left with one or two strong companies. We are doing this because we must fully benefit as a country from those minerals.
“We have also discovered 28 gold leakages that have affected the output of gold. We used to get 26 tonnes of gold every year and that output dropped to only three tonnes but now it has risen to 15 tonnes.
“We are hopeful that we will get more than what we are getting because we are plugging the leakages,” he said.