This week ZimEye.com revealed President Robert Mugabe pulled Police Boss Augustine Chihuri and his colleagues away from parliament into an emergency secret meeting. An angry Mugabe summoned security chiefs and Zanu bigwigs to force them to explain the motive behind the production of a ruling party succession dossier dubbed Blue Ocean Strategy by suspected war veterans aligned to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The document, which was reportedly recently tabled before Mugabe by Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, exposes plots and a long-term strategy by war veterans on how to outfox the G40 faction linked to First Lady Grace Mugabe, Newsday reports.
G40 is reportedly fighting to stop Mnangagwa from succeeding Mugabe.
The dossier, titled Blue Ocean: Taking Back Zanu PF, has rattled party members, with some fearing for their lives.
War veterans have denied ownership of the document and have threatened to sue Mphoko for allegedly lying to Mugabe about their activities.
Senior government and Zanu officials told NewsDay that Mugabe on Wednesday hosted 15 legislators from Masvingo, who were accompanied by party secretary for commissariat Saviour Kasukuwere. Discussions centred on the dossier and war veterans’ activities.
“The meeting dragged until around 8pm as the MPs took turns to expose strategies by Team Lacoste that are being implemented by Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofa and Psychomotor Activities minister Josaya Hungwe,” a senior party official said.
“The MPs also discussed some activities being done by war veterans, particularly one Black Jesus, and the false love for Mugabe being exhibited by some war veteran leaders.”
After the presentation by the MPs, Mugabe reportedly asked how factional fights could end in the province. It is understood that the MPs reportedly claimed the schemes would end if Mahofa and Hungwe were whipped into line.
Insiders said the 92-year-old leader expressed keenness to hear from the military on the strategy as they were being fingered as key players in the succession plan.
But Zanu PF chief whip Lovemore Matuke yesterday said he did not attend the meeting as he had not been invited.
“I was not invited to that meeting, so I know nothing about it. I am just hearing from people, but I was not formally told or invited,” Matuke said.
Another top government source said the MPs raised concerns over reports that war veterans were plotting to remove the party leader as detailed in the strategic document and vowed to defend the party and its leadership — which included Mugabe.
The Blue Ocean strategy, which some critics allege was authored by the intelligence services, detail divergent paths to “restore the party from a cartel of youthful politicians”.
“Falsifying support for the First Lady Grace Mugabe, falsifying capitulation by the Mnangagwa camp and compilation of criminal records for those allegedly linked to the G40 camp such as Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo, Kasukuwere, Home Affairs minister Ignatius Chombo and Grace,” the document reads.
“The G40 cabal has coerced the First Lady into a spirited campaign against VP Mnangagwa and the real Zanu PF cadres who have a clear understanding of path. This has resulted in several high-profile casualties in all organs of the party. Currently, the First Lady has been around the country on nationwide rallies that are eerily similar to those that culminated into the demise of the Mujuru cabal.”
War veterans secretary-general Victor Matemadanda confirmed the existence of the document, but denied reports that the former fighters had authored it.
Instead, he accused the G40 of producing the dossier as a way of creating disharmony between freedom fighters and their patron, Mugabe.
“The Blue Ocean thing is their creation. It is what they are using to get the President angry about us,” Matemadanda said.
“It is sad that in the ruling party, decisions are being made based on rumour-mongering.”
The document also alleged that Mugabe was the real force behind G40, adding that there was bad blood between him and his deputy as he feels “threatened by VP Mnangagwa and the prospect of his Presidency being outshined by that of his protégé”.
War veterans have publicly declared their allegiance to Mnangagwa and have made it known that they would want him to take over.
The report further alleged that G40 was planning to make Mnangagwa a lame duck and erode his support base. Newsday