| HARARE-HALF of the ministers in President Robert Mugabe’s cabinet are of questionable sexual orientation and have a propensity to “double dip”, former Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson Temba Mliswa said Thursday.
Mliswa, who was fitness trainer to Zanu PF national commissar and environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere, told journalists at a press briefing in the capital that he was willing to provide evidence for his claims. Kasukuwere has a pending case in which he is suing his ex-fitness trainer for calling him “gay”. “I have said before that Saviour Kasukuwere is gay and I will not back down, I will not apologise for that but will wait to have my day in court and prove it. “President Robert Mugabe needs to be told that at least half of the people in his cabinet are gay or are double dipping,” said Mliswa. The former Hurungwe West lawmaker lost his position in the party and parliament before being expelled altogether for allegedly being part of a group of Zanu PF leader aligned to ex-vice president Joice Mujuru. Mujuru and her group are accused of trying to violently unseat Mugabe through a coup or assassination with assistance from western powers. Mliswa has previously claimed that the ruling party has been hijacked by “gay gangsters” and Thursday called on Mugabe to investigate his claims. “I am willing to provide evidence and (the authorities) should investigate this, I could assist in that regard,” he said. Mugabe has never hidden his disdain for gays and lesbians at one time characterising them as worse than pigs and dogs. Mliswa added he had been Kasukuwere’s fitness trainer but quit after “differences”. “I was Kasukuwere’s fitness trainer and I resigned. He knows why this happened. I travelled with him extensively and I am very aware of his inclinations,” charged Mliswa. “Kasukuwere accuses me of having many children with different wives; I have not denied that because I have associations with women. He cannot expect to have children when he has sexual relations with men.” Mliswa also claimed that Kasukuwere was setting himself up for the country’s top job, adding the minister held a clandestine meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma as part of his plot for the presidency. “Kasukuwere must explain why we met Zuma in Cape Town,” said Mliswa. “He (Saviour) introduced me to Julius Malema and does not want the ANC (South Africa’s ruling party) to know of his relationship with him. “We had travelled (to South Africa) and then on our way back to Zimbabwe we changed direction and headed for Cape Town where we met with Zuma. “Kasukuwere was a deputy minister at the time and that does not happen every day to have a junior minister meeting a foreign head of state without the authority of their leader. “Kasukuwere has never hidden his wish to lead the country particularly to the South Africans; they know it.” Mliswa said he had been naïve and, at one time, was rebuked by Higher Education Minister Oppah Muchinguri during her time as Zanu PF Women’s League boss. “At one time Muchinguri accused me of being ‘Obama’s campaign manager’. I did not understand it then until I met Zuma and realised he (Saviour) was deliberately meeting heads of states to understand how he could be one of them.” Kasukuwere has been fingered in the ongoing Zanu PF internal fistfight to succeed Mugabe. Known as Obama (after the US leader) in Zanu PF circles, the youthful minister is currently locked in a bitter war for power with party secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo. Their differences emerged over the row regarding Zanu PF candidate for the Harare East constituency. Kasukuwere is reportedly using his position as political commissar to stuff party structures with his “people” in preparation for an eventual take over once President Robert Mugabe leaves the scene. The minister could not be reached for comment Thursday as he was attending the ruling party’s crunch politburo meeting in the capital. |
