×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Zanu PF treading on shaky ground

News
THE Zanu PF succession fight has reached boiling point. While anger, enmity, plots and subplots continue unabated

THE Zanu PF succession fight has reached boiling point. While anger, enmity, plots and subplots continue unabated, it is the characters involved in the fight that have aroused interest.

REPORT BY MOSES MATENGA

Three women have taken centre stage to win the hearts and soul of Zimbabweans. Observers believe the future or demise of the 51-year-old ruling party lies in these three women — namely Zanu PF leader President Robert Mugabe’s wife and Women’s League-designate boss First Lady Grace Mugabe, current Women’s League leader Oppah Muchinguri and Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

Typical of women fights —screaming in public and cackling, and sometimes emotional or irrational — Zimbabweans have been treated to free drama for the last few weeks when Grace and Muchinguri teamed up and almost literally stripped Mujuru naked calling her and her loyalists all sorts of names.

I am not a sexist individual who would rather try and propagate some ridiculous gender-based bias on a handful of people as opposed to realising all women are different. True, there is no “typical female behaviour”, but maybe that’s just a truism at work in Zanu PF at the moment.

There is no doubt that Mugabe has left Mujuru at the mercy of the political vultures led by his wife Grace. The country is now told Mujuru is a corrupt politician who is egocentric, hence she should be stripped of her civility as Zimbabwe’s deputy chief executive officer.

The timing is, however, suspect although it was clear that Mugabe — a shrewd politician and political giant of his time — was trying to manage his succession in a manner that will further strengthen his stranglehold of the country’s political future.

Whatever the case, Mugabe will emerge stronger from these Zanu PF fights. Although this would appear a Grace-Muchinguri-Mujuru fight, the bigger picture is to grab power from Mugabe at all costs.

Grace was believed to be siding with Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has been tussling with Mujuru to succeed Mugabe (90).

While Mujuru reportedly still controls party structures across the country alongside party secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, none of the top officials have dared Grace over her accusations which have widened the chasm in the ruling party’s top echelons.

Party spokesman Rugare Gumbo has refrained from commenting on the goings on in the party following Grace’s scathing attacks on Mujuru, Mutasa and other top officials.

To cement the suspicion that Mugabe is determined to sacrifice his fellow comrades, he has also refrained from commenting on the new developments.

What is more is the fact that Grace has today summoned war veterans to her Mazowe Orphanage minus the association’s leader Jabulani Sibanda. Regrettably, Grace has shown her disdain for the freedom fighters. When the First Lady addressed her rally in Bulawayo, she reportedly told the gathering that: “I understand you fought for this country, but that does not follow that you will all be leaders” as if to say that does not give anybody the express right to contest any party position.

In short, this might be the end of Sibanda, who reportedly snubbed all of Grace’s so called “Meet the People” rallies.

Commentator Tapiwa Mashora said: “When women fight, expect a lot of stripping, shouting of obscenities and in most cases, the fight turns very nasty.”

It appears with the current events unfolding and whether party supporters like it or not; the future of the former liberation movement was firmly in Grace, Muchinguri and Mujuru’s hands for as long as Mugabe remained party leader.

Forget about Mnangagwa being seen as the kingmaker in the succession matrix!

Perhaps the good thing has been that Grace has effectively reduced herself to a faction leader and not unifier as touted by her handlers by aligning herself to Mnangagwa’s camp while Mujuru was touted as a national leader.

Another analyst Blessing Vava believes: “Definitely all the three women are game changers, in particular Muchinguri. Her decision to cede her post for Grace is a well calculated move aimed at getting sympathy from President Mugabe at the upcoming congress.”

He added: “Grace has already entered the political field and will be landing the powerful post to lead the Women’s League. Already she has caused havoc in the corridors of the ruling party, and she is now a factor that cannot easily be dismissed.

“Mujuru is the second most powerful politician in Zanu PF and believed to be leading one of the factions. She has a great following in the structures of the party and she can influence the outcome of the December congress. She has the backing of most of the provincial chairpersons of the party and has the backing of real war veterans.”

All these, Vava said explained why the three had a key role to play in the Zanu PF succession milieu.

While Muchinguri and Mujuru bank on their war credentials in Zanu PF, Grace was basing her marriage to Mugabe as an advantage to take over power. Most likely, Mugabe could reward Muchinguri handsomely with a top position in the politburo and government.

But, observers felt that the treatment Mujuru was getting could be because of the demise of her husband General Solomon Mujuru, a powerful figure in Zanu PF who died in a mysterious inferno at his Beatrice farm in August 2011.

“It could be Grace as VP, it could be Oppah or it could be Mujuru retaining her post in the Presidium. That is the story in Zanu PF now,” a Zanu PF official said yesterday.

“The whole fight is on succeeding Mugabe when he leaves office by whatever means and we know that the real battle is between Mujuru and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, but the Mnangagwa camp is now using two women, Muchinguri and Grace to position themselves well at the congress.”

Grace declared recently that she was open for any post and warned that “women might take over the party”.

“You would see me quiet, a young girl, what did you think I was doing? I was learning,” she said rhetorically in Masvingo recently.

“So what is shocking you today? You made me what I am, I was copying from you. You are not supposed to be shocked; I am seeing a higher post. If you are not serious, women will take over the party.

“When I was approached to come into politics and lead the women, one day I saw a vision of me ruling the heavenly kingdom. I’m here today witnessing it and I have decided to take up the challenge.”

The interpretation was that perhaps the “Queen mother” as Muchinguri would put it, was ready for the big one, first the Vice-Presidency before taking over from her husband, Mugabe as President.

At a rally in Gokwe last weekend Gokwe-Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena added his voice to the succession debate in the ruling party saying Grace had the constitutional right to challenge Mujuru for the Vice-Presidency.

“In the constitution of Zanu PF, don’t be fooled and don’t mislead others, it is very clear that every member of the party shall have the right to be elected to any office in the party. So far, it is the President who is safe. Let those who are dreaming continue doing so, but the truth is, real Zanu PF supporters will conquer,” Wadyajena said.

“We know some are thinking that they can take over from the President, but let me say it here, it will never happen. No one has monopoly for a post in the party. Even the President is very clear that anyone who wants to challenge him should come forward.

“No post is sacred in Zanu PF. Even the Vice-President’s post is not sacred, anyone who wants can contest as long as he/she meets the set guidelines, you can contest.”

But Mujuru loyalists felt that pushing Grace to challenge the Vice-President was expecting too much from the First Lady who was still learning the ropes in politics.

“It cannot be practical and strategic to do that now,” an informed party source said.

“What is needed now is to push for someone loyal to her while she is leading the women. No one will take the project seriously if she becomes VP.”

Analysts also believe that the “dog fights” which have seen Mujuru come under severe attack was “unfair and a danger to Zanu PF”.

Political analyst Takura Zhangazha said: “She (Grace) doesn’t have the experience and definitive party support, she is hanging on her husband and it’s not enough. She has limited experience and limited party support which she is trying to cajole for her support.

“Her approach has been controversial and confrontational. The group pushing for Grace is the same group pushing for Muchinguri. They have been confrontational and they have put their cards on the table rather too early and it will be difficult to gain support and outwit the tradition of never firing anyone in the Presidium who only leaves power if they die.”

If Muchinguri grabs the Vice-Presidency, Mnangagwa’s faction could dominate the Presidium with Grace shooting from Mugabe’s position doubling up as Women’s League boss.

Whatever the case, observers surmised the Mnangagwa faction could be divided if Muchinguri and Mnangagwa were not rewarded.

Either way — Zanu PF is treading on shaky ground.