via ‘Mugabe losing control of Zanu PF’ – DailyNews Live by Lloyd Mbiba 6 APRIL 2014
Mugabe has “completely lost control” of Zanu PF, as factional fights and other political clashes have become more public, and dirtier, analysts have said.
This comes as Hurungwe West legislator Temba Mliswa touched off a political storm after he made stunning accusations alleging that Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa connived with businessman Billy Rautenbach to use members of the Zimbabwe National Army in their mining deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) when the country’s military intervened in that country’s political crisis just over 15 years ago.
He also alleged Information minister Jonathan Moyo was abusing State media to wage factional wars, an accusation immediately rubbished by Moyo who said Mliswa had been caught with “his hands in the till” and should be fired from the chairmanship of Mashonaland West province because he has confirmed that he belonged to a certain faction.
In another indication of deepening factionalism within Zanu PF, Foreign Affairs deputy minister Christopher Mutsvangwa openly attacked his boss Simbarashe Mumbengegwi saying he was unprofessional, undiplomatic and blundered on the First Lady’s denial of a visa to the just-ended EU-Africa summit.
Mutsvangwa accused his boss together with the ministry permanent secretary Joey Bimha, of running the ministry like a fiefdom.
Mutsvangwa also attacked the government on Wednesday, telling students taking Joint Command and Staff Course No. 27 at the Zimbabwe Staff College in Harare that the country was a bad debtor.
He said the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) squandered a $70 million loan from China accessed to embark on a tractor company venture.
To add more fuel to the factionalism, Mugabe last week attacked the State media for using extraordinary measures to impose a media blackout on retired Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono, saying he would kick out those responsible.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) — a conflict-prevention, non profit, non governmental organisation with branches all over the world, said the dog-eat-dog situation in Zanu PF was an ominous sign that Mugabe was losing grip of his party.
Piers Pigou, ICG Southern Africa project director, said the turmoil provided ample evidence that the president was no longer in total control of the party.
“He may not be on the verge of dying as some claim or even hope for, but it is self evident that his capacities are waning significantly,” Pigou said.
“That key figures feel emboldened to speak out vociferously against one another, either means they have little fear of censure, or realise that they must raise the stakes if they are to maintain ‘a dog in the fight’.
If Mugabe does maintain control, one has to ask what benefit he, the party accrue from such a damaging situation.”
Pigou was quick to warn that Mugabe is a foxy politician who has a penchant of playing one faction against the other and as such is allowing the factions to fight so that he retains leverage and relevance.
“At one level, it certainly reflects a failure of leadership.
“We, of course, do not know how much of what is going on he is actually aware of and how and by who he is being briefed,” Pigou said.
“It is likely to be selective and reflect partisan interests at some level, but he cannot be blind to the growing dysfunction and dangerous dynamics.
“During his birthday interview on ZBC, he tried to affirm he was still in control and going nowhere.
“I thought his comments on ‘not leaving his party in tatters’ was very telling, as it clearly infers that’s how he sees it — that is, his party is in tatters.”
Pigou said the president should exert his authority and rein-in senior party officials who are not toeing the line.
Mugabe needs to appoint a successor, Pigou said, as this would ease fights between factions angling to succeed him.
Charity Manyeruke, a University of Zimbabwe political analyst, said people should not read too much into the fights as they are normal in a political establishment.
“It’s normal in political formations to have misunderstandings but the leadership has a responsibility to rein-in such situations,” Manyeruke said.
“When individuals attack each other, it is not Mugabe’s problem but some of them like to also test their power. It is the nature of politics; there are no written scripts.”
COMMENTS
And the looting goes on.
mugabe is losing control of more than just zanupf !!!
Elsewhere, the tired but not retired old man would be in an old people’s home. At that advanced age, he has lost control of everything
The fact that internal fighting is now out in the open shows just how much July 2013 destroyed the opposition. It is no longer seen as any real threat. Personality clashes and succession schemes can now play out without fear. Let us not forget that even in Zambia and Mozambique before independence, there was sometimes violent internal fighting within ZANU.
Yes! And the opposition are too stupid to see it. They play right into ZPF’s hands. may the Lord raise up a man after His own heart to lead this nation. May He do something entirely new. Not something of power hungry, greedy, selfish man but of Himself. may God have mercy on this nation.
ZANU’s problems are not mine. Let them carry on. They are not wanted. They must go
Mugabe might cluelesd on the economy but he is in control of his political game. He has secured 5 years, the opposition in disarray, paths to SADC and AU chairs opened, EU on the retreat….
He can afford to let the factions wear each other out by going at each other – some mild censures, of course. It also serves him to remind the nation what it might face if he goes.
* You mean, M’Garbage stole the Election for another 5 years of looting.
* You mean, M’Garbage boot-licked the AU members and Banda for the chair.
* You mean Nikuv, not M’Garbage, is the illegal president of our Zimbabwe.
* You mean Zimbabwe is on the retreat, not the EU, they are too powerful!
Get real!
Mugabe is even failing to control Grace what more can we expect except to c pipo dng whateva they want at any gven tym…
There is no doubt that Mugabe has lost control. But this was the Mnangagwa plan in the first place. Win the elections by hook or crook and leverage Mugabe’s departure. It would appear that the first consideration was to go for a violent election that would not get the sanction of SADC but that was abandoned after Mugabe declined. They instead fell back on a new plan that would include the Elton Mangoma group where they would deliberately use the economic levers to force the old fox out. The spoiler in this case was seen as Tsvangirai if he won the elections, recognised Mugabe and agreed to go into another GNU or in event that he took the option of mass action again.
Another GNU Mnangagwa would frustrate. So Mangoma’s was brought in and tasked with ensuring that Tsvangirai was starved of resources so that he does not win the elections. Remember when dialogue started in 2007 on the back of mass action Goche was sent to no other than their man, Elton Mangoma in the middle of the night.
Unfortunately Tendai Biti and Roy Bennett were fooled by Mangoma into believing the plan would see them emerge as the leaders of the MDC T and did not question the unholy alliance with zanupf. Mangoma is the barking dog of zanupf. Tendai Biti and Roy Bennett were naive to believe in him.
Now Tendai Biti is embarrassed that Tsvangirai has seen through this design and has now called for mass action. . Their plans are no longer guaranteed of success.
May the Lord reveal all this skulduggery and may He expose, also, all the evil in ZPF: the corruption, the murders, the bloodshed; the whole lot. Zimbabwe cannot go forward until the boil is broken and all the poison comes out. I am disgusted with our politics.
Perfect analysis!
How long will it take Zimbabweans to see that our country needs to be rebuilt by people….not politicians? We need to have the courage to sideline all politicians (of every party) in every single aspect of our lives. PAYING THEM NOTHING is a good start. Why should we allow thieves and power hungry megalomaniacs to make the rules? NO!
No rocket science to see that the open intensification in factionalism is playing very-very well into Mugabe’s scheme of things. It’s clear, Mugabe is behind this intensification.
How else would one explain the sudden courage by the John-come-lately of the kind of Mliswa to directly point a finger at Zanu Pf stalwarts of the calibre on Mnangagwa without linking an eye.
Obviously Mugabe is playing his end-game. He is going to use these open and direct attacks on senior party members by such very junior members to convince those same senior members and sundry that they do not command any respect from the rank & file; therefore they can not be his successors. Having silenced them that way he will then open the way for his preferred candidate – who has strategically and deliberately shied away from open-handed factionalism. Mugabe is surely already pushing for his man – he will obviously convince many in Zanu Pf that his man is the best compromise if the party is to remain united after his departure. Watch this space.
Unfortunately, Mugabe’s preferred candidate has been a matter of public knowledge for quite sometime. Even Teu & Ngwena know it vey well – what we don’t know is whether both of then or anyone of then has anything in their sleeves to stop Mugabe’s guy when time really comes. Time will tell. But for all we know, RGM is truly as canning as a wild fox
Bob should be swotting for his finals. His end game could be a very hot and undesirable place. he is fiddling with his eternal life whilst Zimbabwe dies.
aaaah he lost control of the country long time ago he shud teach his lieutenants some morals and values they are rotten to the core
This successor better not be the previous RBZ governor. The country will will be ruined completely.
Losing control – what a joke – he LOST control years ago and now he has well and truly lost his marbles.
I’m sure he’s lost control of his bowels, his woman, his country and now his party too! He’s on auto-pilot and hanging on for dear life.
Interesting analysis, Mapingu. We are areed, Mugabe is more in control than he has been for a long time. And all at 90.
But I believe there is no real preferred candidate. Ngwena had started acting prededential, stepping in to “rescue” mai Mujuru after her media/corruption blunder; weighing in on the Mutsvangwa/Mbengegwi spat.. Maybe people like Mutasa decided to send muzukuru to stop the Munangagwa/Moyo axis gathering steam.
Bottom line? I believe the old man plans on dying in office – having crafted precidents with Mzenda, the two Nkomos, Msika etc. No handover.
Was he ever truly in control? Why the rapid change of attitude in 1980 so soon after the brilliant reconciliation speech? Because Mnangagwa, his puppeteer, decided otherwise. Zimbabwe has only had one President from independence and it’s not Bob.
Don’t be fooled guys, he is very much in control. Articles like this merely serve to persuade his opponents to take their foot off the gas. He is like Castro – a wily political animal. He might be a poor leader but, by God, politically, he’s an evil genius! (perhaps even in league with Satan – Haha)