MUTARE – President Robert Mugabe yesterday hinted that he was on his way out and that it is now time for youths to come on board and assume responsibilities.
He chastened his old guard at a rally held in Mutare yesterday — where he was addressing the gathering as part of his nationwide meettheyouth rallies — saying youths must shun being used By power hungry ministers and senior party leaders in exchange for money.
Apparently, this was in reference to the dogeatdog affair in his party, where his top aides are
savaging each other over his succession. Two rival camps are at the centre of the vicious infighting namely Generation 40 (G40) and Team Lacoste.
The latter is rallying support behind Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, while the former
claims to be interested in a Mugabe life presidency.
Yesterday, Mugabe seemed to intimate that none among the old guard could replace him.
“We need to unite, people did not say since the meeting was organised by the youths it should be for youths only but even the elders chose to join the proceedings, thank you for supporting the youths, I believe you regard the youths as deserving inheritors, ours is about who will take over after we have gone, we have lost so many people, we should not forgot that our elders are the ones who left the country heading for Mozambique. We are the past generation, isu taenda (we are on our way out) . . . ,” Mugabe said.
He, however, said the country’s independence could not have been attained had people
considered tribe or regionalism.“Some are used in tribal wars and I want (youth leader Kudzanai) Chipanga to fully understand this, if you want to follow in our footsteps.
“We were not bought by money, as individuals we were never bribed because they knew that we were united, we were principled and we had terms and conditions that we followed,” Mugabe said. He further spoke extensively about how other ministers and senior party officials are using money to bribe the youths to support them in their quest to reach to the top.
“So you must not be bribed by your elders, be they ministers who buy cars for you to rally behind them. By merely accepting these gifts, you automatically become a sellout. When you do that when you are in Chipanga’s position, do not assume that your juniors are not aware of what will be happening, you will be merely showing them that you are not principled.