Why Mugabe supported Chamisa in 2018 Presidential Race

IT has emerged that the late former President Robert Mugabe decided to support the then MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s 2018 presidential bid after President Emmerson Mnangagwa allegedly shut the door on the nonagenarian.

This is contained in a document titled Proposed Framework for the Reunification of Zanu PF, authored by former Tourism minister Walter Mzembi and his G40 colleagues.

The document points out that Mugabe had intentions to engage Mnangagwa to sort out the problems in Zanu PF, but he was shunned.

Speaking to one of the country’s news outpost NewsDay on Wednesday Mzembi said: “Read the document which I was authorized by Mugabe to take to Mnangagwa after protracted discussions and meetings between us. This is how he envisaged reunification in the party: rapprochement and peace-building, and not this razz-mataz approach of fishing unsuspecting political juveniles on the back of granting them individually and family security.

“This was not Mugabe’s approach; he was not selfish to the extent of wanting to cut a deal for himself back into Zanu PF to the exclusion of comrades who had sacrificed for him, standing with him on principle until the last.”

The document claims that one of Mugabe’s conditions was that after the coup, G40 members should be reinstated to the party and government and that their victimization should end.

He also wanted Zanu PF to unite.

Mnangagwa is said to have demanded that Mugabe endorses his candidature ahead of the 2018 elections in return.

Mugabe’s endorsement of Mnangagwa was expected to be reciprocated by revisiting some decisions or aspects of the decisions of the November 19, 2017, Zanu PF central committee meeting which included, inter alia, the sacking of Mugabe from the party.

Former G40 members said to have been close to the negotiations in 2018 declined to comment on the issue.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba on Tuesday said: “Why don’t you do more homework and talk to all the parties, then you come back to me, and I will tell you what I know?”

However, efforts to get him to comment on the issue yesterday were fruitless.

Meanwhile, the G40 members are reportedly lobbying regional leaders to call for dialogue with Mnangagwa.

Some of the G40 bigwigs, who were sacked by the regime, included former ministers Mandiitawepi Chimene (Manicaland provincial), Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao (Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare), Sydney Sekeramai (Defence), who lost his job soon after the coup, Walter Chidakwa (Mines), Jonathan Moyo (Higher and Tertiary Education), Ignatius Chombo (Finance) and Samuel Undenge (Energy).