Former Zanu PF political commissar and ex-cabinet minister, Savior Kasukuwere, who has joined the race for the presidency, says Zimbabwe cannot afford another term under President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose family members have amassed obscene wealth by taking over several business stakes in the country.
Kasukuwere, who announced his intention to file his presidential nomination papers on Wednesday, blasted the multiple ‘for ED structures’ for undermining government structures by hero-worshiping President Mnangagwa in order to earn wealth at the expense of the country.
The former Zanu PF commissar, who seems to still have a soft spot for Zanu PF, questioned if President Mnangagwa should be allowed to stay in power despite having presided over toxic political divisions, a failing economy, and societal strife.
The solution for Zimbabwe, Kasukuwere said, was for people to participate in the election and make a choice “between fear and hope.”
“(Mnangagwa’s) conduct as party leader and state president is averse to the core values of the liberation movement of inclusive, open, and transparent politics,” Kasukuwere said.
President Mnangagwa’s tenure and leadership style, according to the former Mugabe loyalist, has left Zanu PF party structures, such as the Main Wing, the Women’s League, and the Youth League “badly exposed and threatened by corrupt, foreign, hero-worshipping ED structures.”
Kasukuwere lamented how these “for ED structures” undermined elected national, provincial, and district leaders while also disrespecting traditional leaders.
“In his own words, (Mnangagwa) advised President Mugabe that ‘the party is not your personal property nor that of your family’ and let alone the country yet the leaders of these dodgy ‘for ED’ groups have unlimited access to Cde Mnangagwa and unlimited resources while the party structures remain unfunded,” he said.
Kasukuwere stated people have witnessed such developments, had seen the photographs of the “flamboyant lives” the leaders of the ED groups lived by associating with President Mnangagwa and that people were “not allowed to openly question these shenanigans.”
“We need to renew politics in our country, reassert and give back power to the people. Cde Mnangagwa must give the party a chance to choose between the future and the past, between hope and fear,” he said.
According to the former cabinet minister, one of the reasons President Mnangagwa used to justify his “attack” on Mugabe was that he was surrounded by criminals.
“Ironically, the ‘Gold Mafia’ expose, the arrest of public figures at the airport over gold smuggling, the lavish lifestyles of his family, some of whom have never worked a day in their lives, shows that persons very close to Cde Mnangagwa engage in various illicit businesses,” Kasukuwere alleged.
He added that allegations on President Mnangagwa’s family and associates having preferential access to foreign currency at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe have never been challenged or disproved.
“It is known that from Sandawana to Makaha his family has taken over gold mining, including having shares in government companies. The government is silent on diamond exports which are unaccounted for,” Kasukuwere alleged.
“You are all aware that his family has taken over imports, distribution, and sale of fuel. You are all aware that his family and associates are involved in almost all the multi-billion-dollar Belarus deals. You have seen the obscenity of their sudden wealth, yet they argued that President Mugabe was surrounded by criminals.”
Kasukuwere added that despite a ban on export of lithium in Zimbabwe, persons surrounding President Mnangagwa were in possession of export permits and exporting it without remitting that money to the Treasury.
“The looting from the state must stop,” said the presidential contender.
Kasukuwere indicated his decision to stand as an independent candidate was motivated by two missed opportunities that occurred in December 2017 and September 2022, when the Zanu PF Congress failed to allow fair competition for the Presidency.
“As a result, it failed to unite the membership, forgive the past, and reconcile for the future of our glorious revolution. Unfortunately, to this day, notwithstanding a promise to let ‘bygones be bygones’ post-November 2017 and a pledge to ‘restore the legacy’ and values of our liberation movement, we continue to witness exclusionary politics.” he said;
Kasukuwere said there was persecution of members who loyally served the people, Zanu PF, the government and the late Mugabe.
“It is unacceptable that the so-called new dispensation has exiled myself and many other comrades over one key disagreement about how the internal succession process ought to have been handled,” he said.
“ Our position was and remains clear, that without intimidation, and abuse of state institutions, Cde Mnangagwa could never have won and cannot win any leadership position in a fair and open political process.”
