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VP Mnangagwa

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
VICE PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has dismissed reports that he ate ice cream from Gushungo Dairy shortly before his sudden illness during a zanu-pf Youth Interface rally in Gwanda early this month.

The VP had a severe bout of vomiting and diarrhoea during the rally and had to be eventually flown to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he received treatment.

In a statement yesterday, VP Mnangagwa said claims that he ate ice cream from Gushungo Dairy were being made by unscrupulous elements bent on creating a rift between him and the First Family.

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The clarification by VP Mnangagwa comes at a time when authoritative sources indicated yesterday that his doctors from South Africa arrived in the country on Wednesday to present their medical report to the VP and the President.

“I, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, State Vice President and Second Secretary of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Union (zanu-pf) party, would like to put the record straight regarding my alleged consumption of ice cream from Gushungo Dairy at the high table on the occasion of the Youth Interface rally at Pelandaba Stadium in Gwanda Matabeleland South Province, on Saturday 12 August 2017,” he said.

“No such thing ever occurred. The insinuation that I partook ice cream from the said dairy is false and mischievous, and being peddled by unscrupulous elements with the sinister agenda of creating a rift between me and the First Family, lower market confidence in products from the dairy and cause unnecessary alarm and despondency among peace-loving Zimbabweans.”

Highly-placed Government sources told the Herald that: “The medical experts that attended to the Vice President flew into the country to present their findings to the VP. They presented the same findings to His Excellency, the President.”

The Herald could not find the details of the medical report by the time of going to print.

After VP Mnangagwa’s sudden illness, the private media and social media were abuzz with unfounded claims that he consumed ice cream from Gushungo Dairy, suggesting that it was the cause of his illness.

The VP had not issued any statement on the matter and his clarification yesterday put paid to speculation and theories that were being spread about his illness.

While VP Mnangagwa was in South Africa, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Chris Mushohwe issued a statement saying the VP’s doctors had indicated that he could have eaten stale food, resulting in him suffering a severe bout of vomiting and diarrhea.

Dr Mushohwe also dismissed social media claims that VP Mnangagwa was poisoned.

“Some stories went to the extent that perhaps he was poisoned; some went to the extent that he ate ice cream from Gushungo Dairy.

“That is absolute nonsense. In fact, for the record, the Vice President did not eat ice cream. Yes, there was ice cream. I ate it, many people ate the ice cream, but he did not eat the ice cream himself. I do not know where this is coming from.

“What the doctors think happened is that perhaps he ate some stale food, which then means it is really not poison in the sense that the people are trying to allege.”