via Plot to stop Mujuru – DailyNews Live 13 August 2014 by Fungi Kwaramba
HARARE – Hardliners in President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF are working round the clock to derail Vice President Joice Mujuru’s march to the presidency.
With the second Zanu PF secretary riding on a crest of popularity after winning the Youth League elections last weekend, insiders told the Daily News yesterday that rivals in the Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa’s camp are plotting to stop the high-flying VP in her tracks.
With the new Constitution working almost in Mujuru’s favour, there is a palpable fear among her rivals that she is already the president-in-waiting.
If Mugabe were to leave office, retire or be incapacitated, Mujuru, according to the new Constitution, is supposed to complete Mugabe’s term as that is the position set out in Section 101 of the new supreme law.
However, for the first 10 years of the new Constitution, that provision is altered by the provisions of Section 14 of the Sixth Schedule and in particular sub-sections (4) and (5) as read with sub-section (1), the effect of which is that a substantive replacement to the office of the president must be made “within 90 days after the vacancy occurred…”
Official sources yesterday told the Daily News that it was the Mnangagwa faction which introduced a 10-year clause to the new Constitution.
Notwithstanding outlandish claims from the Mnangagwa camp that their rivals are orchestrating kidnappings in order to influence the outcome of the Women’s League elections, scheduled to start tomorrow, Mujuru has secured an almost unassailable support as president-in-waiting.
But to muddy the waters, official sources say, the Mnangagwa faction has reportedly roped in Mugabe’s wife Grace, who is set to take over as the Women’s League boss after having been nominated by the women’s organ and endorsed by the Youth League.
Grace’s entry into politics is seen as an attempt by the Mnangagwa faction to solicit the support of party president Mugabe.
Some analysts have, however dismissed Grace’s pedigree and political stamina to withstand and participate in the dirty Zanu PF political machinations.
Apart from using the Grace trump card, insiders allege that the Mnangagwa camp is also pursuing other ends, including roping in the media to soil reputations of those linked to
Mujuru.
At the Heroes Day celebrations on Monday, some senior officials from the Mujuru camp were unsettled as they watched surreptitious indabas taking place in broad day light as the plot thickened.
Later on the same day, politburo members Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Edna Madzongwe — all linked to the Mnangagwa camp — attended a press conference where Oppah Muchinguri attacked the shambolic youths elections, abductions, and intimidation that are currently rocking Zanu PF.
Muchinguri, a key ally of Mnangagwa, indicated that they wanted men who had run the youths conference to stay away from the Women League vote.
“This is a women’s conference, we do not want men to interfere, unless they want to wear dresses, they should not interfere,” Muchinguri said.
“I want to condemn in the strongest terms any form of bribery taking place. Once we get information, we will not hesitate to probe them.”
While Muchinguri did not name the culprits — pivotal allies of Mujuru, who include Manicaland godfather and Zanu PF kingmaker Didymus Mutasa, national chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo and Webster Shamu, the political commissar — she accused the party heavyweights superintending over the chaotic youth elections.
Mutasa yesterday told the Daily News that he does not have time for petty battles.
Asked to comment on Muchinguri’s allegations that women were being abducted, Mutasa angrily retorted: “Ndezvake izvo (It is her problem). We do not even know anything about kidnappings. We are a mature party, we do not do that.”
Asked whether they has been changes to the running of elections, Mutasa said, “As far as we are concerned, zvinhu zviri kutofamba sezvatakataura (things are moving on as planned).”
With the party mired in deepening factionalism, Mugabe has been fuming but is apparently failing to stop the dogfights in his 51-year-old party.
With Mugabe being the uncontested Zanu PF leader since 1977, the party’s constitution is vague on succession.
The party only has a clause that deals with what should take place in the absence of the party’s president and first secretary, in which case one of the two vice-presidents (at the moment there is only one), is supposed to carry out the first secretary’s duties.
Insiders say the term “absence” should not be mistaken for death or incapacitation.
But in the past, Mugabe hinted that Mujuru would take over.
After the elevation of Mujuru to the vice presidency in 2004, Mugabe said, “When you choose her as a vice president, you don’t want her to remain in that chair do you?”
But in a recent interview with Ghanaian-born British film-maker Roy Agyemang, Mugabe flip-flopped and ruled out all “contenders” to his throne.
COMMENTS
Zimbabwean politics: Robert Mugabe, Grace Mugabe; Muchinguri, Mujuru; Mnangagwa; Tsvangirayi; Simba Makoni – an all Shona affair, Cry the beloved country!!
Since 1980, we long told you to stop mobilising on tribe/language; you never listened.
You believed the ZANU PF propaganda, that some Zimbabweans had to go back to South Africa, were they belonged; where, because of laziness they flock to after “O” levels.
You unofficially decreed that these Zimbabweans, should they be considered for any senior positions – the President position was beyond them. The furthest they could go was to be deputies.
Whilst pursuing your MWANAWEKUSHA objectives in employment and language use right across the length and breadth of Zimbabwe, you went out of your ways to help ZANU PF implement the 1979 Grand Plan, under the guise of exercising your rights to live and work and speak your language in any part of the country; as if this was never the case during the Rhodesian days.
Need I remind you that people deed indeed lived, worked and spoke their languages in any part of Rhodesia; but the difference was in their attitudes towards their hosts. The current majoritarian attitudes are informed by the dominant ZANU PF gukurahundi political environment of intolerance; hence the now so “all-pervasive andinzwi Chindevere mantras”, even after someone has been living in Mthwakazi for the past 10-15 years.
The consequences of these policies are all there to be seen in Mthwakazi today – total failure of children – with teachers teaching grade one pupils in Shona, instead of introducing them to English through their mother tongue – a double blow/disadvantage for the little ones.
You are now crying out loud, because all your gukurahundi plans have gone up in smoke; after those you trusted betrayed you. Seeing that the head of state position in Zimbabwe is for Shonas, the only qualification; yes indeed Grace Mugabe will be your President. She is Shona after all, so she qualifies – whats the big deal? You made your bed, now sleep on it.
People like Welshman Ncube and Dumiso Dabengwa have borne this gukurahundism with dignity – after being unofficially told to never dare try their luck on the tribally reserved highest office in the land. They are branded “tribalists” on the basis of their language, names and surnames; accusations that are never directed at people like Simba Makoni and Tswangirayi.
Mind you, no evidence of this tribalism has ever been proffered and none is required. Just a ZANU PF inherited tactic of neutralisng political opposition/opponents from Matebeleland. Lessons well learnt, for it worked well in destroying Dr Joshua Nkomo and his PF ZAPU!!
In 2007 Joyce Mujuru betrayed Mugabe and used a document content to make a deal with Dr Gono at RBZ then Governor, at that time she and Gono were not the best of friends but having received a detailed document from Paul Sigauke Division Chief of Exchange Control RBZ together with David Chapfika then deputy minister of Finance she spied her opportunity to get into a partnership so that she had Dr Gono’s undying support for her entry to be the next President of Zimbabwe – Chapfika was fired and Paul Sigauke my uncle died suddenly Mujuru is a traitor to her own party no matter what we think of Mugabe
Wilfred Sigauke