Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

Dumiso Dabengwa, seen here at Heroes Acre sitting just behind National Security and former Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi. Reliable sources are insisting on the story I broke a few days ago about Dabengwa being offered the vice-presidency. ZAPU itself, Dabengwa's party, was insistent that he will not rejoining ZANU PF, which is an entirely different thing from joining the government as Vice-president. The party has said in interviews and statements that an offer for Dabengwa to join the Inclusive Government as a Vice-president was "a different matter". Harare, Zimbabwe, 23 August 2009 You will recall that I broke the story about Mugabe's offer of the Vice-presidency to ZAPU Supremo Dumiso Dabengwa. The story spread like a wildfire throughout the world and it took some time before there was a response from ZAPU itself and Dabengwa. My sources are insisting that despite the denials by ZAPU, Dabengwa was indeed offered the vice-presidency and that the offer still sta...

Harare, Zimbabwe, 11 August 2009 Dumiso Dabengwa, the ZAPU leader and former ZAPU Commander, who is being offered the vice-presidency of Zimbabwe by Mugabe, is holding out and repeating his oft-stated demand for an apology from Mugabe over Gukurahundi. This is one of his two demands. Dabengwa is said to have also demanded that the healing process currently underway encompass Gukurahundi. You will recall I told you when I broke the story about a Reconciliation Commission that Mugabe had told Tsvangirai that Gukurahundi had "nothing to do" with him and he could only speak for the violence that followed the formation of the MDC. Very few people are aware of just how mortified Mugabe is over the Matabeleland massacres termed by then Prime Minister Robert Mugabe's government "Gukurahundi" - the early rains that wash away the chaff". The only time Mugabe ever came even close to making a public apology over anything was over the Gukurandi massacres, which he said ...

Harare, Zimbabwe, Sunday 09 August 2009 A reader has just pointed out to me that a full day after I broke the story about Dabengwa being offered the Vice-presidency, NewZimbabwe have stolen the scoop and are trying to mislead readers that it is their story. Let them have fun, I say. Anyway. You have obviously noticed, if you read and listen to Zimbabwean State media, the sudden shift in the way Dumiso Dabengwa (known affectionately by all as DD) is treated by the media. Only a couple of months ago, the State media was pouring vitriol on the man who dumped ZANU PF and Mugabe's unity with ZAPU to revive the party of Joshua Nkomo. The State media at the time dismissed him as someone who had been "rejected" by the people of Matabeleland when he was in ZANU PF. They publicly sought to tarnish his Ndebele credentials by saying his surname was, in fact, Tavengwa, not Dabengwa. He changed his name to Dabengwa, the state media said, in order to Ndebelise himself. On the basis of t...

Robert "The Solution" Mugabe is gunning for Dumiso Dabengwa (seen here with Simba Makoni in Bulawayo in February last year) to take over the vice-presidency left vacant by the death of VIce-president Msika. Mugabe spoke to Dabengwa for more than hour yesterday t o put the offer to him. They will also probably meet after the burial of Msika on Monday. Dabengwa has been invited to the funeral at Heroes Acre, as has Simba Makoni. Harare, Zimbabwe, 08 August 2009 Robert "The Solution" Mugabe, in a shock move, has offered Dumiso Dabengwa the vice-presidency left vacant by death of John Msika. Only a few minutes ago, I confirmed this with two senior ZANU PF and government officials. Mugabe is said to have called Dabengwa yesterday and spent more than hour talking to him. Two emissaries have been dispatched to Bulawayo today to try and talk the former ZIPRA Commander into accepting the offer. Mugabe, in explaining his motivations yesterday, said that, most importantly, he ...