HARARE – President Robert Mugabe’s continued attacks on the late liberation struggle icon, General Solomon Mujuru, are a sign of “cowardice and a terrible indictment on his leadership style”, Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) spokesperson Rugare Gumbo says.
Commenting on the nonagenarian’s untested accusations against the late Mujuru — that he wanted Mugabe out of power as early as 2008 — Gumbo said the 92-year-old should focus on his burning party and learn to “respect the dead”.
“If he (Solomon Mujuru) had done anything wrong, he should have talked to him when he was still alive.
“It shows that Mugabe was scared to confront him. “It also shows that he has nothing else to talk about. He is someone who has lost his mind.
“This is one of the most annoying things which we don’t expect to come from the head of State. What he is saying is nonsense,” Gumbo thundered.
Mujuru’s charred remains were found at his Beatrice farm, just outside Harare, in August 2011 — with his wife Joice, who is now leading ZPF — subsequently being purged from her party and government positions.
While Mugabe had previously claimed that the Mujurus wanted to have him assassinated, he told his supporters in Bindura on Friday that the real reason why Joice had been expelled from Zanu PF was because of her husband’s sins.
“Mujuru waiti vanhu havangatambudzike munyika muno nenyaya yemasanctions. Anga avekupomera ini mhosva yemasanctions achiti saka Mugabe ngaabve pachigaro, ndokufurirana naSimba Makoni kuita chiparty chavo Mavambo. Ndokufamba kumaprovince vachiti regai kuvhotera president (In 2008 Mujuru accused me of being the cause of the Western sanctions that were causing much pain to Zimbabweans, saying I must step down from power. He then connived with Simba Makoni to form Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn, going around the country and asking people not to vote for me),” Mugabe said.
But Gumbo hit back yesterday, saying the nonagenarian should focus on his crumbling party, as well as the country’s comatose economy, instead of vainly badmouthing the dead.
One of the two surviving members of Zanu PF’s liberation war council, Dare rechimurenga, Gumbo said he also fully understood why Mugabe and Zanu PF were “obsessed” with Mujuru and what was happening within ZPF.
“Mugabe is trying to look for a scapegoat for his problems and the mess that the country is in, that is his strategy.
“We should not take him seriously because at this stage, the government should offer solutions to the people who are struggling to survive and get food.
“We don’t want to talk about petty issues … our concentration is on how we can offer solutions to the current economic crises facing Zimbabweans. We are future-oriented. If there was anything wrong that was done by Mujuru, they should have talked to her without harassing her,” Gumbo added.-Dailynews
