Lumumba Beaten Up After Saying F-Word To Mugabe

Published: 2016 July 01 02:24:21 (6943 Views)

Former Zanu PF activist, Acie Lumumba, who recently launched a new political party known as Viva Zimbabwe and insulted President Robert Mugabe with an f-word, was allegedly beaten up by unknown assailants soon after the event at Ambassador Hotel in Harare.

According to Viva Zimbabwe party activist, Agency Gumbo, Lumumba was thereafter summoned by the police.

Gumbo said they failed to get in touch with him on his mobile phone after he went to Harare Central Police Station. Police could not be drawn to comment.

Lumumba, who made headlines recently when his sex tape was leaked, announced the formation of his Viva Zimbabwe political party, charging that time has now come for the youth to take charge of their destiny.

Lumumba, who addressed himself as the interim chairman of Viva Zimbabwe, accused President Robert Mugabe of running down the country’s economy and went further to insult the president, adding that he was ready to face the consequences.

Several opposition members and supporters have been arraigned before the courts countrywide for insulting the presidency.

His remarks were criticized by former student leader and Zanu PF activist, Tafadzwa Mugwadi, who described Lumumba as childish.

Director of the Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe, Sydney Chisi said Lumumba’s remarks were disrespectful to the office of the president.

But Viva Zimbabwe member, Agency Gumbo, defended Lumumba saying most Zimbabweans are angry with Mugabe such that they are suffering silently.

Responding to a question from the floor concerning his attack on Mugabe, Lumumba said there are so many illegal issues that the president himself has said but he went unpunished. He said time was now up for the youth to shape their future.

Lumumba admitted that he was corrupt when he was in Zanu PF but decided to leave the ruling party to concentrate on matters that have a bearing on the future of the next generation.

Political analyst and editor of The Observer newspaper, Barnabas Thondlana, said it was worrisome that political parties keep mushrooming at a time when all pro-democracy groups should be forming a formidable coalition ahead of the 2018 elections to increase the opposition’s chances of winning against President Mugabe and his Zanu PF party.

The 27 year-old Lumumba, who did not parade the leadership of his party, said he was not going to contest the presidency in 2018 but would work hard to make sure that the youth of Zimbabwe elect a leader who has the interest of the youth at heart.

He said the party’s official launch would be held later this year after undergoing a membership mobilization exercise.

After denigrating the president using the F-word, his security personnel whisked him away when he was in the middle of responding to questions from journalists.

- VOA