VP tried ‘juju’ to kill me, Mugabe tells his party’s annual congress

HARARE

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has claimed that his deputy consulted witch doctors in her alleged bid to eliminate him.

President Mugabe made the sensational claims as he opened a congress of his beleaguered Zanu PF party that is now underway in Harare.

Vice-President Joice Mujuru is boycotting the congress after she was accused of plotting to kill the 90-year-old leader.

The congress that ends on Saturday is set to usher in a new leadership but with President Mugabe remaining at the helm. Scores of senior Zanu-PF leaders have been purged in the last few weeks after they were accused of supporting Ms Mujuru’s alleged assassination plot.

President Mugabe alleged that one of the officials aligned to the vice president took two tadpoles, one representing the Zanu-PF leader and the other representing Ms Mujuru to perform rituals.

“One of the witchdoctors said look for two tadpoles of different colours one should be named (President) Mugabe and the other should be called (Ms) Mujuru and put them in water,” he said.
“That’s what happened. “They were made to fight and if (President) Mugabe’s tadpole dies then she will rule. Now if mine won against yours, it seems that is what happened then,” he added.

On Tuesday, President Mugabe spoke for the first time on allegations his deputy was plotting against him.

However, last month First Lady Grace Mugabe accused (Ms) Mujuru of several crimes, principally, plotting to oust the long-time leader.

“Money, money, money, yes money can give us joy but it can create sorrow for us,” President Mugabe said.

STEP DOWN

He said his deputy of the last 10 years was power hungry and was even prepared to kill him so she can take over.

The veteran ruler said his Zanu PF lieutenants thought he would step down after last year’s elections.

“I go to elections, fight an election and I am expected to bow to my deputy and say I won an election, you can take over?

“Did I not hear that or read that this man was going to die in September. But the man refused to die in that September and is still refusing to die,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s ruling party has expelled its former spokesman Rugare Gumbo as tensions escalate ahead of key elections to choose new party leaders, the state broadcaster reported today.

Party chairman Simon Khaya Moyo told the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) that Mr Gumbo, a former cabinet minister, was banished by the party’s central committee but declined to give reasons.