Harare - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has defended his decision to expel his deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, saying he did not tolerate anyone plotting his ouster.
Mugabe who fired Mnangagwa on Monday for allegedly exhibiting traits of disloyalty and disrespect claimed his former deputy was so desperate to succeed him to an extent of consulting traditional healers.
“There are some people who thought since the sun is about to set, they can deviate from the norms. No, we do not tolerate that.
“It does not matter you have been with the President for so long. It does not matter whether you were invited by the President. Short cuts have lions, there is sickness and death. You need to use proper routes”.
“The same applies with leadership. You cannot be a leader through short cuts,” Mugabe told thousands of Zanu PF supporters at the party’s headquarters in the capital, Harare.
Mugabe and Mnangagwa have been together for more than four decades.
“What led to the expulsion of former VP Mnangagwa is what caused (former VP Joice) Mujuru to be shown the exit.
“People were told that I will retire in March, but i did not. Upon realising that I wasn’t, he started to consult traditional healers on when I was going to die. At some point, he was told that he would die first before me,” Mugabe added.
