ED blames Mugabe linked G40 over Byo bomb blast? 41 injured, Zim Elections to go ahead

Grace Mugabe linked G40 faction responsible for Bulawayo Bomb ?…Mnangagwa names old enemies

Forty-one people were injured in a blast at White City Stadium in Bulawayo yesterday afternoon soon after President Mnangagwa addressed a Zanu-PF campaign rally.

President Mnangagwa was not injured and security details evacuated him to State House (Bulawayo), before he returned to Harare last night as scheduled.

In a clear reference to G40 faction, President Mnangagwa said these were the actions of his “mortal enemies”, who over the past five years have made numerous well-documented attempts to kill him.

Said President Mnangagwa: “I do not think the evil people are part of Bulawayo. The evil people must come from elsewhere. It is not Bulawayo. The people of Bulawayo were so happy to see me.

People outside Bulawayo did this I can assure you.These are my normal enemies. The attempts have been so many. It’s not the first attempt on my life. I have had six attempts on my life. My office was broken into. I have had cyanide put into my office. They have tried to poison me I survived. All these things I have been surviving.

But this will have no bearing on elections. This behaviour belongs to defeatists. I am happy that the campaign throughout the country is peaceful.”

While he was vice president to Mugabe, Mnangagwa had bruising encounters with shadow figures who nearly killed him with poison.

At the time it was widely reported that a rival pro-Mugabe Zanu PF faction known as G40 was behind the attempts on his life. Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace never admitted involvement or connection with G40 faction and the alleged attacks on ED Mnangagwa.

Mugabe fired Mnangagwa from government and Zanu-PF after his wife was humiliated by pro-Mnangagwa youths at White City Stadium in early November 2017.

Among the injured in yesterday’s blast were Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, Cabinet minister and Zanu-PF National Chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, VP Constantino Chiwenga’s wife Mrs Mary Chiwenga, and ruling party National Political Commissar Lieutenant-General Englebert Rugeje (Retired).

Last night, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said there had been no fatalities although some of the injured required “serious surgery”.

President Mnangagwa has announced that 2018 elections slated for 30 July will go ahead.