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Harare – Zimbabwean former freedom fighters have reportedly rebuked ex-president Robert Mugabe for criticising the new administration, saying that the nonagenarian "was dreaming" if he believed that he could rule the southern African country again.
Mugabe, who was ousted in November last year, reportedly attacked President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his allies over the weekend, saying that they were "wrong" in removing him from power.
During a private birthday party at his Harare mansion, the 94-year-old ex-president demanded an apology from Mnangagwa for last year’s military operation that saw his 37-year rule coming to an end.
Mugabe claimed that the ruling Zanu-PF party still wanted to work with him but he was concerned over trusting his former comrades after they "shredded the [country's] constitution", reported The Standard.
"Can they be trusted again? Can our people vote for such a Zanu-PF, a Zanu-PF which shredded the constitution? I don't know," Mugabe was quoted as saying.
According to the state-owned Chronicle newspaper, the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association general secretary Victor Matemadanda compared Mugabe to Rhodesia's ex-prime minister Ian Smith, whom he said ruled without consultation and punished those who disagreed with his rule.
Matemadanda, on the other hand, described Mnangagwa as a team player, "who is always with the people and makes informed decision".
He said the military intervention dubbed Operation Restore Legacy would not have been possible without the popular support of Zimbabweans.
"Some people are calling for a return of Mugabe alleging he loved them better than the way president Mnangagwa does but I want to say it's foolish to think that Mugabe will come back to rule, that's just a show of desperation from comrades who don’t have orientation," Matemadanda was quoted as saying.
