via Mugabe disqualifies Mujuru, Mnangagwa February 21, 2014 NewsDay By Chief Reporter
President Robert Mugabe yesterday threw the cat among the pigeons when he hinted that both Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Justice Minister Emmerson Mnagangwa were out of the succession race by fomenting factionalism and risked expulsion from Zanu PF.
Mugabe said people should be free to choose their leader when the time comes for his departure from the helm of the party as he nears 40 years at the apex.
He discounted succession talk while he was still in charge.
“It is terrible even to have your name mentioned as leader of a faction,” Mugabe warned in an interview with ZBC to mark his 90th birthday last night.
Zanu PF has been at the centre of a storm due to infighting triggered by the race to succeed Mugabe.
There are two factions vying to succeed Mugabe, one reportedly led by Mujuru and another by Mnangagwa, but both publicly deny harbouring presidential ambitions.
Several clashes broke out in the party during last year’s provincial elections as the factions attempted
to angle for the replacement of Mugabe who turns 90 today, in the event he is either incapacitated or steps down.
Political analysts tip Mujuru to take over from Mugabe, claiming she was favoured by the party hierarchy as second-in-command.
This was also buttressed by the fact that Mugabe hand-picked her to the post of Vice-President and whipped provinces to endorse his choice.
This, according to observers, showed Mugabe was then contemplating anointing her as his heir apparent.
However, both Mujuru and Mnangagwa’s political careers have depended much on Mugabe’s benevolence.
Party sources claimed Mugabe once promised Mnangagwa power when he finally relinquished it.
But Mugabe yesterday tore apart his two proposed favourites, threatening them with expulsion for leading factions that were destabilising the party and calling the decision to be labelled faction leader as “tragic”.
Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa, who is believed to belong to the Mujuru faction, yesterday weighed in, reiterating that everyone within the party was free to contest for presidency.
He said the mandate to lead would be given by provinces.
“Those who lead factions, I don’t know why they do it,” Mutasa said. “The procedure is that the president is selected by provinces.”
The Mujuru and Mnangagwa factions have been battling to control provincial structures that form the Electoral College at the congress.
Last year’s selection of provincial executives was marred by counter accusations of vote-buying, rigging and manipulation from the two factions.
Mugabe blasted factionalism saying any selection of a leader on factional lines will create an opposition within the party.
“But why should it (succession) be discussed when it is not due? Is it due?” he queried. “The leadership still exists that runs the country. In other words, I am still there.”
He also lambasted regionalism and tribalism, saying the mandate to run provinces should be left to provincial chairpersons, not self-annointed provincial godfathers who should confine themselves to national leadership. Mugabe said his dream was to leave Zanu PF intact when he finally retires.
COMMENTS
Tried to listen to the interview, waste of time. Aanengozi, people lie to us saying he is sharp and alert, manyepo, rangova guru taka
In a nyoka. The man is like a zombie. 15 minutes he was rumbling on about tobacco. I gave up.Zanu kutamba nesu.this chap cannot even organize mombe padip.Hanzi ndinoziva zvose zvirikuitika,vanonyeba ndinovabata, ooooh sorry maningi, mudura hamuchina baba I we wakara. This old dying man must just go. Wotakurana na Tsvangirai ,isu totanga patsva.
Kikiki haaa yaaa, ngavatakurane naTscangson vaende vese these head facked up dictators!
The chickens are coming home to roost. We shall wait with great expectation for the words from Mugabe’s mouth to come true. He has just set the stage for more infighting and witch hunting within his party. All the presidential hopefuls are completely unsuitable to lead a country like ours endowed with smart and decent citizens into the future. We want a fresh start with no ghosts or remnants from the past. Give us back our country and the freedom to choose our own leaders. We deserve that since we have ceased trusting the whole bunch of you for imposing your will on us and letting us down for all these years.
He should just shut up and stop.
a baole chief does not know his successor! what more hallmarks of dictatorship do you want?
They say this old man studied economics @ university but am wondering whether he missed the subject on leadership where the importance of succession planning is discussed in detail or did he rig the degree? When the leader is no longer there, then there is a vacuum which usually creates chaos with many trying their luck & there will not be any time or conditions to discuss succession, so old man, the time to discuss your replacement is right now when u are still there. And can u pass the same message to your partner in crime Tsvangirai as well.
That is very factual Mrehwa , if that madhala dies without choosing his successor it will really shows that he does not have the will of the people at heart, succession must not take place after his exsistance , because they will be blood shed in Zimbabwe, so the earlier he declares it the better I listened to his dialogue , when he was asked the difference in situation of the country during GNU & after GNU ,he just mumbled ,& really failed to address the demand of the question, ZIMBABWEANS , WE ARE HOLDING OURSELF AT RANSOM ,LETS WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE BEFORE CHINESE RANSACKS AND DELAPIDATES OUR COUNTRY
hezvoka n’anga nemapositori, yasvika nguva yekuita mari zvese nerudo, nadzo imbwa dzirikuda hukuru idzi. samai vanokupai chero zvamareva. muporofita anenge oti kuna mai, mai makaiswa munyama namunangagwa unotoda kubviswa nenhengo. handina kunzwisisa zvamataura amuporofita? ndati kuti muve president, zvinoda kuti imi neni tiende pabonde. A! vamugabe vakazvinzwa vanoti kudi? vachiti kudi, ivo vakatora grace, pane akambotaura.
All those with an ounce of political intelligence and/or wisdom have always known that neither Mujuru nor Mnangagwa has ever been the old man’s favourite candidate. Any promises that either of them might have been given by the old fox to the effect that s/he was at any point favourite were simply to use them to fight against certain perceived contenders to the throne – such as the likes of late Edison Zvobgo who were never shy to declare their desire for the number one post.
It is open secret that in the early days the old man tried hard to find someone groomable from his own province, or better still his own home village, and failed. He then settled for one ruthless guy but generally quite and/or reserved, from Mash East province.
Many of us know if the old man has is last wish this guy will takeover. I think the Mnangagwas & Mujurus know it as well but may only hope when time comes the old man’s word wont prevail. Let’s wait & see if they are prepared to take the zanu pf demi-god head-on when the hour comes. Or may be their best bet is the old man might simply depart, for one reason or another, without explicitly anointing anyone & in that case it will be survival of the fittest and/or shrewdest among them – minus the old man of course. Watch this space.
Am inclined to agree that reading between the lines Mugabe has always favoured Sekeramayi to take over. I think he has deliberately kept Sekeramayi out of the factional fights to ensure when the time comes Cde.SS is seen as a National,Unifying leader…But I don’t know if Sekramayi can hold his own against Ngwena…Cde SS shares many of the same traits as Ngwena but Ngwena is just so cunning and ruthless enough to do what needs to be done to seize power when the time comes…..Also I don’t know if the majority of ZANU(PF) or indeed Zimbabwean people can stomach yet another Zezuru Chief although Manyikas like Mutasa will support it to get the VP post otherwise kumaKaranga&Ndebele uko????Hameno.
Dr Simba Makoni was Mugabe’s best but it is now something he always say about loosing Simba Makoni
Nonsense! Mugabe was forced to make Joyce a VP by General Mujuru and not by choice. Remember Joyce was not even part of the Presidium then, she was even behind Mutasa in seniority.
From then on, Joyce Mujuru was destined to be heir apparent being the youngest in the Vice-Presidency. Even Mugabe himself said nothing culd stop Joyce from going al the way to the top.
The mysterious death of the General proves he was the real King Maker and only time wil tel if the death of her husband would prove fatal to her own chances of being President. If truth be told, she wil be a welcoming change after nearly four decades of Machiavellian ruthlessness!
Joyce Mujuru today represents the only reasonable escape route for Zanu PF against radical elements with zero revolutionary memory!
Bayete Mzilikazi.
Yave nyonganyonga muZpf. Rwendo rwuchiripo.
Siyanai nesu rovanai ikoko