PRESIDENT Mugabe has lashed out at politicians who waste money consulting prophets to advance their political ambitions.

He said given the high level of literacy in Zimbabwe, it was mind-boggling how educated people fell prey to the tricks of the so-called prophets.

The President made the remarks at the burial of Cde Don Kwaedza Muvuti at the National Heroes Acre yesterday.

“Vamwe vari kuenda zvino vachida kunzwa kuti vanongoramba vakadaro here kana vachapfuurira kuenda kumusoro,” he said. “Maelections ari kuuya aya, ah, mapastor anogarawo akagadzirirazve. Hameno kuti mabhagidhi aya vanofana vatenga here? Votoenda ikoko? Ndicho chii ndiudzei munhu waMwari, son of God ndiudze. Iye anokuudza kuti, ah, iwe mangwana iwe ndiwe uchava Vice President. President kana vaenda zviri pauri iwe. Ndiri kuzviona, ndiri kukuona, ndiwe, ndiwe ooh, ooh.”

President Robert Mugabe accused his sacked deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, of consulting traditional healers to find out when the 93-year-old would die, as he schemed to take power, the state-owned Herald newspaper reports.

Mnangagwa first spread rumours that the president intended to retire in March, Mugabe said but “upon realising that I wasn’t, he started to consult traditional healers on when I was going to die”.

He added: “At some point, he was told that he would die first before me.”

Addressing thousands of his supporters in the capital, Harare, Mugabe said Mnangagwa lacked “supreme discipline”, and tried to orchestrate “rebellious” behaviour in the ruling Zanu-PF party.

Mugabe fired Mnangagwa – a close comrade of his since the 1970s war for independence – on Monday, in what analysts saw as a move to pave the way for his wife, Grace, to take power when he dies or retires.

Mugabe is expected to appoint her as vice-president.

She has called for Mnangagwa’s expulsion from Zanu-PF, which has been in power since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980.