VICE-PRESIDENT Phelekezela Mphoko was on Thursday belittled by First Lady Grace Mugabe when he was made to introduce her instead of him being introduced by her, analysts and opposition politicians said yesterday.
BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA
They said Mphoko’s move to introduce Grace at her Chimanimani rally belittled him, as he behaved like the First Lady’s aide, and not a VP.
This comes as the factional fissures in Zanu PF keep mounting to an unprecedented levels, as more top party officials pledged allegiance to the First Lady.
According to the hierarchy of the party, the VP is more senior than Grace, as the women’s league secretary. But events in Chimanimani this week painted a different picture, as she continued with her ambitious ascendency to power.
Analysts yesterday said it was a game of splitting camps, with Mphoko. Although humiliatingly, Mphoko actually pledged his allegiance to Grace and G40.
MDC-T spokesperson, Obert Gutu was blunt about the events calling Mphoko “a political nonentity”. “It just proves that Mphoko is a political nonentity. He was behaving more like Grace’s personal aide than like a Vice-President. It’s utterly humiliating,” he said.
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“As the MDC-T, we are, of course, thrilled by the spectacular collapse of the Zanu PF regime, as is evidenced by the vicious and endless factional rupturing of this beleaguered political party.
“Whatever the G40 is doing has the blessing of Mugabe. [Vice-President Emmerson] Mnangagwa and his team have their work cut out for and if they are not careful, they are likely to go the [former Vice-President Joice] Mujuru way.”
Legal expert, Alex Magaisa said it was increasingly becoming clear that there was split loyalties between Mnangagwa and G40 as the party grinds to the pitch of its succession politics to replace 91-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
He said for some time there has been speculation, but now the real cracks were becoming evident in similar ways to “what transpired last year which resulted in the expulsion of Mujuru”.
“All this is being set up in time for the conference and it is clear now that Grace Mugabe has been set up as a contender against Mnangagwa, who up to now has been regarded as a clear favourite. It is plain that between them, Mugabe will back his wife,” Magaisa said.
Blogger, Blessing Vava said Grace was just flaunting her power and telling them that she was taking over.
“Essentially, Grace was showing her power that she wields power, that she is now the second in command, remember she once said [Mnangagwa and Mphoko] took notes from her,” he Vava.
