Mnangagwa scorches rumours he was beaten by Mugabe's men

DENIAL: Mnangagwa (left) seen with Morgan Tsvangirai's election agent, Chris Mbanga, during a sitting of the nomination court in March, 2008

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By Torby Chimhashu

EMERSON Mnangagwa on Wednesday scorched rumours that he had been kidnapped and tortured by President Robert Mugabe’s security men following a bust-up.

The rumour mill in the capital Harare and internet chartrooms have been buzzing with claims that Mnangagwa had been left for dead after being seized from his house moments after he quarrelled with Mugabe over cabinet posts during a Zanu PF meeting.

Some of the rumours, varying depending with source, suggested Mnangagwa -- seen as one of the leading candidates to succeed Mugabe as leader of Zanu PF -- had possibly suffered a stroke and been hospitalised.

[Rumour 1::::Rumour 2]

A smiling Mnangagwa told New Zimbabwe.com that the rumours were the work of unnamed rivals “who have never missed an opportunity to smear me”.

“As you can see I am in good health and fit as a fiddle. I have heard all these stories but there is nothing I can do to stop this nonsense,” Mnangagwa told our correspondent in Harare.

“I don’t know the reason behind this but maybe it is the usual suspects who have said many things about me in the past.”

The outgoing Minister of Rural Housing said he had spent the last two weeks at work and had never at any time been questioned, kidnapped or tortured by state agents.

Privately, Zanu PF officials have said it was highly unlikely that Mnangagwa could have a public fallout with Mugabe as he is one of his most trusted lieutenants and was his chief election agent in the March presidential elections.

Mnangagwa also campaigned for Mugabe and supported his candidature at the Zanu PF annual conference last December defying internal calls for a change of leadership.

Last year, Mnangagwa was linked to an alleged coup plot against Mugabe and his office was raided by suspected state security agents. Several files and a computer hard disk were taken away in the night raid on May 25, 2008.

The trial of the alleged coup plotters is yet to conclude and Mnangagwa has been told he will not face any charges.
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