×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Mujuru spits fire

News
FORMER Vice-President Joice Mujuru yesterday warned Zanu PF officials and ruling party loyalists against abusing her name and making unsubstantiated accusations against her as they had no immunity before the law unlike the constitutional protection enjoyed by President Robert Mugabe by virtue of his position.

FORMER Vice-President Joice Mujuru yesterday warned Zanu PF officials and ruling party loyalists against abusing her name and making unsubstantiated accusations against her as they had no immunity before the law unlike the constitutional protection enjoyed by President Robert Mugabe by virtue of his position.

by Staff Reporters

Mujuru was responding to bizarre claims by president of the Chiefs’ Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, who on Wednesday told Zanu PF supporters in Masvingo that the former Vice-President’s witchcraft had caused this year’s drought.

Speaking at a Zanu PF rally at Mucheke Stadium where Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa was the guest of honour on Wednesday, Charumbira told bemused ruling party supporters that an alleged coup plot by Mujuru and witchcraft was responsible for poor rains this year.

But Mujuru last night said the likes of Charumbira and other officials relentlessly attacking and maligning her good name should be careful and not use the “President’s immunity to start talking nonsense”.

“Of those people who are talking about that, how clean are they in the eyes of God? I can vouch that I am clean and pure,” Mujuru said in an exclusive interview with NewsDay.

“If I take them to real prophets not dzavo (their) n’anga (witchdoctors), will they pass the tests that I have gone through many times or ndivo vanozobatwa vane nyoka zvino? (they will be caught with snakes?)” Mujuru said not many people understood her.

“They use a lot of gossip or echo their masters’ wishy-washy politics which don’t help people in any form,” she said.

“People want to be addressed on bread and butter issues. I have no supernatural powers that cause mishap to poor struggling masses I fought for.”

Charumbira, who does not hide his loyalty to Zanu PF, claimed that the gods were angered by Mujuru’s alleged plot to oust Mugabe, hence the erratic and poor rains this farming season.

“Masvingo yakaona nhamo neGamatox (Masvingo was in trouble with the Mujuru faction), even among the rank and file of chiefs. You were supposed to go to Beatrice first (where Mujuru has a farm), otherwise you would not get a farm,” he claimed to the bewilderment of most people present.

“Mafaction ange ofamba achiroya masikati machena (Factions were practising witchcraft in daylight). They wanted to take President Robert Mugabe’s throne, that is why we did not get good rains this year and there is a drought. By flushing out Gamatox (faction), the country has now been cleansed.” Observers said Charumbira was