World News

Zimbabwe vice president accused of poisoning ‘lies’

563

One of Zimbabwe’s vice presidents on Wednesday accused the other of “using lies” over an allegation of poisoning, fuelling political tensions ahead of next year’s elections.

Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko said his counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa had undermined President Robert Mugabe when Mnangagwa claimed to have been poisoned at a rally in August.

Mugabe, 93, has maintained strict discipline over his government for decades, but the public dispute comes amid growing in-fighting over who will eventually succeed him.

Mugabe has said that Mnangagwa was not poisoned, apparently to dispel rumours of an assassination attempt.
Mphoko accused Mnangagwa of making a “calculated” challenge to the president’s account of the incident.

“There appears to be an agenda to undermine the authority of President Mugabe and to destabilise the country by using lies,” Mphoko said in a statement. “This must stop.”

Mnangagwa is a favourite to succeed Mugabe, while Mphoko is seen as having no plans to run for the leadership.

The rare public rift came as Mphoko served as acting president during a visit by Mugabe to South Africa.

Mnangagwa, 75, was flown to South Africa for emergency treatment after falling ill at the ZANU-PF party rally in the southern town of Gwanda on August 12.

Some supporters claimed he had been given poisoned ice cream in an attempt to kill him.

Mugabe has already been named by the ZANU-PF as its presidential candidate for the 2018 elections.

The main threat to Mnangagwa’s presidential ambitions is from the “G-40” group led by Mugabe’s wife Grace.

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Nigeria Invites Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali for Abuja Regional Summit Despite ECOWAS Exit

Notwithstanding their departure from the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), Nigeria...

India’s Deadly Skies: 7 Killed in Copter Crash 3 Days After Plane Tragedy

A helicopter carrying seven individuals, including the pilot, has tragically crashed in...

Trump Mulls Expanding Travel Ban to 36 Nations, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin on the List

The United States is reportedly considering a significant expansion of its travel...

Horrific Political Violence in US: US Lawmaker, Husband Brutally Murdered

Melissa Hortman, a Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota, and her husband were...

Iran: Israel’s Attacks Crossed the Line, Amount to Declaration of War

By Daniel Okejeme with agency report Following a series of Israeli military...

Entire Family Wiped Out: Doctor Couple and 3 Children Among Victims of India Plane Crash

A husband and wife, both doctors and their three children including a...

London-bound Air India Flight Crash Claims 200 Lives, Briton Survives

A London-bound Air India passenger plane with more than 200 people on...

Just in: Air India flight AI171with 242 passengers on board crashes

A London-bound Air India flight with 242 passengers on board crashed shortly...

Ahead of Elections, Presidential Hopeful Shot in the Head in Brazen Attack

A Colombian presidential candidate, Miguel Uribe Turbay, 39, was shot three times,...

Nigerian “Tech Queen” Arrested for Multimillion-Dollar US Government Fraud

Nigerian tech enthusiast, Sapphire Egemasi, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau...

Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah elected 9th AfDB president, takes office Sept. 1

Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected as the ninth president...

ECOWAS at 50: Tinubu Urges Leaders to Harness Youth Potential, Implement Policies

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, current chair of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads...

Tragedy Strikes Southern California: Small Plane Crashes into Homes at Night, Casualties Feared

In the dead of night, a small plane tragically crashed into a...

Bloodbath at Israeli Embassy in US: Gunman Fatally Shoots Two Staff, Shouts ‘Free Palestine’

A gunman shot and killed a young couple working at the Israeli...

Pentagon accepts luxury $400m jet gift from Qatar for Pres. Trump

The Pentagon has accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar to...

Joe Biden Diagnosed With Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Gleason Score 9

A medical evaluation, prompted by worsening urinary symptoms, revealed that former U.S....

US-China Tariff Truce: China Lifts Ban on Boeing Plane Deliveries

China has lifted its ban on airlines taking delivery of Boeing aircraft...

American-born Pope Leo XIV emerges new Catholic Pope

A new leader for world’s 1.5 billion Catholics has emerged. He is...

Breaking: White Smoke Rises, Signaling Papal Successor

White smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Thursday,...

ECOWAS Decries Poor Condition of Nigeria-Benin Border Facilities

Despite significant financial investment, the infrastructure at the Nigeria-Benin Republic Seme border...