Former Zimbabwe vice-president Joice Mujuru has described President Robert Mugabe as a “living spirit”, saying that at his age, he should not even be allowed to look “after goats” or make any “serious family decisions”.
Mujuru made the comments in an interview with Germany’s Deutsche Welle (DW) international broadcaster.
“In my culture, you don’t raise a finger to a man or a woman who is your mother or your grandfather’s age. It is spiritual, he is now a living spirit and we are lucky to have him alive,” she said.
Mujuru was appointed by President Mugabe as Zimbabwe’s first ever female vice-president in 2004. She was however sacked at the end of 2014 on charges of plotting to overthrow the president.
Her comments did not however go down well with the ruling ZANU PF party members.
Zimbabwe’s minister of higher education Jonathan Moyo tweeted on Sunday: “Without the late General Mujuru’s name & without Pres Mugabe, Joice is politically nothing. She knows this as we do!”
Without the late General Mujuru's name & without Pres Mugabe Joice is politically nothing. She knows this as we do! https://t.co/b6VdFFtIiQ
— Prof Jonathan Moyo (@ProfJNMoyo) March 6, 2016
State owned newspaper The Herald also quoted analysts who described Mujuru as an advocate of Western agenda.
“Her words are intended to deceive and are calculated to please and placate the imperialists’ efforts,” an analyst, Gabriel Chaibva, was quoted as saying.
