DEPOSED former Vice-President Joice Mujuru has hit back at President Robert Mugabe’s claims that she had hired Nigerian ritualists to bewitch him, First Lady Grace and some top officials in a bid to land the presidency.
Mugabe told supporters bussed in from all the country’s 10 provinces at his lavish 91st birthday party at the Elephant Hills Golf Club in the resort town of Victoria Falls that Mujuru tried to use juju to oust him.
He alleged that the Nigerian ritualists ordered Mujuru to get 10 chickens and each was named after all those believed to be against them.
Mugabe said all the chickens were slaughtered in the belief that the 10 people, including him and Grace, would die.
He further alleged that one of the rituals was performed while Mujuru was half naked.
In a statement yesterday, Mujuru said she was at a loss for words and wondered why she continued to be the subject matter of presidential conjecture and fantasy based on outright lies.
“I was born into the Apostolic faith and once at school became a member of the Salvation Army,’ she said.
“I am a committed Christian and was the leader of Apostolic churches as patron and I have been committed to Christian life and values all of my life.
“It is disturbing that the allegations that I tried to or was part of a conspiracy to assassinate the president have now been reduced to allegations of witchcraft, whose versions change on a daily basis. I am sure even the ordinary Zimbabwean has become tired of this story in its various guises.
It’s a charade which has lost steam.”
She added: “I have said it before and I repeat it again, handiyite zvakadaro ini (I don’t do such), I am innocent of all these charges and I am ready to face the allegation(s) in open court or any other public forum within the Zanu PF constitutional structures.
“I fought for the liberation of this country and hold the ideals of the liberation struggle and Zanu PF close to my heart. I have not betrayed my party nor its leadership.”
Mujuru said she had all along remained quiet out of respect for Mugabe as party leader and her considered silence should not be viewed as a sign of weakness or guilt.
“My focus is on national building and avoiding unnecessary destruction of the party I belong to, Zanu PF, by omafikizolo who are motivated by self-interest and do not put the people first,” she said.
Mujuru was sacked in December 2014 along with seven ministers on accusations of corruption and plotting to kill Mugabe.
Her career ran into trouble when Mugabe’s wife Grace entered politics earlier last year and conducted a relentless campaign against her for months with the help of the State media.
Grace spewed vitriol at her so-called meet the people rallies, telling Mujuru to resign or apologise, but the liberation war heroine dug in despite the gravity of the allegations.SouthernEye