CHINHOYI — Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa has vowed to crush any possible revolt against President Robert Mugabe’s continued rule.
He dismissed as wishful thinking suggestions that Zimbabweans could stage an uprising similar to those that rocked North Africa recently.
Mnangagwa made the remarks on Friday during a tour of Chinhoyi University of Technology’s Hunyani Farm, where the institution has partnered the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) and a Chinese investor in a 300-hectare wheat production project.
The farm was taken from the renowned Nicolle family, one of Chinhoyi’s leading commercial farmers.
Mnangagwa was accompanied by ZDF Commander General Constantine Chiwenga, Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander Air Marshal Perence Shiri, Agriculture minister Joseph Made and other senior government officials.
“The United States, Britain and their allies invaded Libya so that they can plunder their oil resource. They might have succeeded in Libya, but that will not happen here.
“Our detractors with the help of sell-outs have been working hard to bring anarchy to Zimbabwe, but that will not happen because we will crush them,” the Defence minister said.
Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe’s land reform programme was a success and had empowered the formerly marginalised black majority.
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The minister, who was President Mugabe’s chief election agent during the 2008 elections alleged MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai was working on the instructions of agents of “illegal regime change” who were bent on reversing the gains of the liberation struggle and post-conflict agrarian reforms.
Mnangagwa claimed Zanu PF was the vanguard of dignity, democracy and human rights.
“We will not let that happen in any disguise. Zanu PF brought dignity, democracy and the observance of human rights,” said Mnangagwa.
He said Zimbabwe’s all-weather friends, China and Russia, stood ready to aid the ZDF to crush its enemies.
He also took a swipe at the local independent Press and international media outlets, particularly BBC, CNN and SkyNews, for allegedly “peddling falsehoods and negative publicity” on Zimbabwe.
