Mutasa’s Mentally Ill,Says VP Mnangagwa

“When we hear him (Mutasa) say the things that are now attributed to him we now understand and believe that surely the man must be seriously ill,” Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa told a party gathering in Gweru Thursday.

Addressing the same meeting, Environment minister Saviour Kasukuwere chillingly said: “I would have loved to say to Mutasa retire in peace not in pieces. I think he will retire in pieces.”

On the same day but Mutare, finance minister Patrick Chinamasa told another party meeting: “We were all shocked to read Cde Mutasa disowning … Congress.

“No degree of madness surpasses this and if there is anyone who can find a proper psychiatrist, he should assist our dear lost comrade.”

President Robert Mugabe fired former deputy Joice Mujuru, accusing her of incompetence and trying to illegally remove him from power. Also sacked were several ministers, including Mutasa.

And elevated in Mujuru’s place was Mnangagwa with the likes of Chinamasa and Kasukuwere also getting top positions in the ruling party’s politburo.

But Mutasa, now reduced to just an ordinary card-carrying member issued a hard hitting statement this week, describing the meeting as unconstitutional and demand the re-instatement of the pre-congress leadership.

“Given the illegality of the so-called congress, there is neither constitutional nor moral authority for it to form structures that can lead both the party and the government,” he stated.

“We refuse to allow our beloved party to be destroyed by power hungry political imposters who have abused party structures for personal gain.”

But Mnangagwa said Mutasa could not now describe as illegitimate a congress he organised.

“Mutasa Gamatox invited people to congress and invited resolutions and recommendations from provinces,” said the Acting President.

“Mutasa was in-charge of the management of the process leading up to the congress. He did not come to congress not at the instigation of anybody but because he fell ill and went to South Africa. It was him who fell ill not the party.”

Kasukuwere added: “We saw it long ago that Mutasa had lost the plot. He hijacked government programs and used every opportunity he had to attack Mnangagwa.

“We left him and never answered because we knew he was lost. We looked at it and thought maybe it was age, we knew there was something coming up.

“Now he writes a letter as secretary for administration, we need to tell him it’s gone with Chombo (Ignatius). He should probably say he is dreaming but he should dream as chairperson because that was the position he was angling for before congress.”

In Mutare, Chinamasa said Mutasa had fallen victim to the same “political disease” which affected the likes of Edgar Tekere, Margaret Dongo, Morgan Tsvangirai and Simba Makoni.

He said: “We were all shocked to read Cde Mutasa disowning a process which he was part of since the beginning up to the days of the Congress. This is pure madness. Kupenga kwakaita sei ikoko?

“He was actively involved in the organisation of the chaotic youth conference. It was the same with the women’s conference, but today out of the blue he is saying the whole process was flawed.

“No degree of madness surpasses this and if there is anyone who can find a proper psychiatrist, he should assist our dear lost comrade.”

Chinamasa continued: “On the issue of one-man, one-vote, Cde Mutasa should be the last person to claim that there is no democracy in the party.

“He lost the Central Committee elections where he actively participated. He is one person who did not go through a primary election to win a parliamentary seat.

“Every time when we were preparing to go for an election he would ensure that there was no challenger in his constituency, but today he is uttering rubbish saying there is no democracy in the party.

“Cde Mutasa should wake up to reality and know that he is no longer secretary for Administration. His position was filled by Dr Chombo.”

Politburo member Oppah Muchinguri said Manicaland province had since written to the party recommending Mutasa’s expulsion from the party.

“By his actions, he has already expelled himself,” said Muchinguri.

“He is a card-carrying member from Manicaland and for him to make a statement without consulting us as the province is unacceptable.

“We distance ourselves from his actions. It’s simply lack of respect for President Mugabe who has chosen Cde (Ignatius) Chombo to be the new secretary for Administration.”