via Dr Grace for President? | The Zimbabwean 02 October 2014
Grace Mugabe is now in control over who has access to her husband, according to highly placed sources. She is working closely with the Zanu (PF) faction led by Emmerson Mnangagwa to block Gideon Gono, the former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, from political office.
Grace had also blocked Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, believed by many to be a potential compromise candidate, from seeing Mugabe, said the source.
“It is clear now that Mugabe listens to whatever his wife says. She yields so much power over him to the extent that she is now manipulating him. She has virtually ordered Mugabe not to entertain any of the people who have been linked to the succession race, save for Mnangagwa. As a result, the line between government business and party politics is now thin as ministers like Sekeramayi are being denied access to Mugabe by his aides,” he added.
The source said Grace was aiming higher and was already working to replace her husband. But he was not sure whether this had been agreed by the Mnangagwa faction.
“It looks as though Grace and Mugabe have agreed that she becomes his successor, but this may not be known to Mnangagwa. Of course it is possible that Mnangagwa wants to be a kingmaker and would be ready to play second fiddle to her, hoping that he can handle her in the future,” he said.
In a surprise move, Gono was recently barred from filling the Manicaland senatorial seat that fell vacant when Kumbirai Kangai died last year.
Despite initial acrimony regarding Gono’s takeover of the Zanu (PF) seat in the upper chamber, he remained the strongest contender to plug the vacancy. He was expected to do so following a recent amendment to the Electoral Act that allowed a person who had not initially contested—as in Gono’s case—to be handed over the position.
However, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission last week wrote to Zanu (PF) saying Gono could not take the seat because he was not registered as a voter in Manicaland.
Even though this is what the act stipulates, critics have contended that the law could still be amended further to guarantee him the seat, while others said it was easy for him to be transferred from a Harare ward to Manicaland.
Sources told The Zimbabwean that dramatic shifts in the Zanu (PF) power game in recent months had changed Grace’s heart. They said she had decided not to associate with Gono any more but concentrate on building her own political empire.
Grace was recently endorsed as the next leader of the powerful women’s league by a clique of women considered to be aligned to the Mnangagwa faction. She is set to sit in the politburo, the party’s elite decision-making body, after the December congress.
Previously Grace was reported to have gunned for Gono as a possible successor to her husband, President Robert Mugabe, as he had been a close family friend and business advisor.
“It all shows that there are no permanent friends in politics. Since her endorsement, Grace does not even want to see Gono close to her husband. The fact that he (Gono) has been deemed unsuitable for the senatorial seat is a striking coincidence,” said a highly placed source.
He added: “Gono is struggling to talk to Mugabe. This is in sharp contrast with the past when he had free access to his home and also enjoyed visits from the president at his Borrowdale home. Grace no longer considers him relevant in her scheme of things and now views him as a stumbling block.” Gono seems to have no friends in the Mnangagwa faction, which has always opposed his elevation to senator. After the announcement that he could not get the Manicaland senatorial seat, Gono blamed that on his factional enemies.
“It is clear that someone from outside the province is playing games hoping that they can torpedo the Zanu (PF) politburo and Manicaland province as well Buhera district’s choice,” Gono told a local daily.
He insisted that he had transferred as a voter from Harare to Manicaland in early December 2013 and wondered why the transfer had not been effected.
Information minister, Jonathan Moyo, who has in the past been reported to side with Mnangagwa, responded to Gono with an acidic statement in which he rubbished the senatorial aspirant’s claim of factional sabotage.
Moyo has had several brushes with Gono in past months. “It is abundantly self-evident that, by any means available or not, Dr Gono is desperate to be Senator for Manicaland province, a provincial parliamentary seat he apparently mistakes for Buhera district. This explains why he has become so emotional and reckless about his comments to the point of displaying his ignorance of the law in public,” said Moyo recently.
He insisted that Gono’s transfer from Harare to Buhera West in Manicaland was illegal because the Registrar General who did that no longer had the power to handle voter status.
Rugare Gumbo, the party spokesperson, in turn rapped Moyo for usurping his authority to speak on party matters. Gumbo is believed to belong to the Mujuru camp.
COMMENTS
This could be a best selling novel or popular TV soap drama. I favour the latter in due course. You couldn’t scrip a better zanupf saga/drama
These evil diabolical sanctions are responsible for deteriorating standards that we are now awarding PhDs in two months if they are removed we will uphold standards.
We are aligning ourselves to be able to continue to take take take and anybody who doesn’t like it can “Go Hang”
Ndivo anonzwi mahumbwe kana kuti matakanyanya.Zimbabwe has gone to the dogs! Kan nemadofo (7%) ave kuda kuitavo maPresident.
Disgrace has been running zimbabwe for many year, the people were just too stupid to realise
Correct
How I wish this was a movie, a book or a make believe story from a great story teller, my granddad. Unfortunately and disturbingly so, it is not. People please listen. I have been shouting this warning for a long time now. Be very prepared for the reckless consequences that are going to befall us from the resultant ZANU PF implosion. I know a great number of us awaits this very inevitable eventuality, but please brace yourselves and don’t allow yourselves to be used by these good for nothing politicians. Please youth of Zimbabwe you will do better if you unshackled yourself from these corrupt users, start on a clean slate and prosper. You are better than what these crooks can ever make you or make you believe you are worth. Try to be independent thinkers and see how you can and will even surprise yourselves. Don’t be used. Food for thought. Your parents, who were youths when Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, (I cannot say when we were liberated, because we were not), genuinely believed in the ideals of independence, unfortunately they were used by the same people who are using you today, and have been doing so for the past 34 years. Nothing will change. If anything it will get worse now that Grace is a PhD without the education or the brain.
Well said Pati. People be warned.
She is nothing.
What exactly does this woman have that truthfully Zimbabwe would benefit from her being in any office least of all the Presidential office?
Whys are we subjected to headline after headline insinuating DisGraceless ness in Office?
Who in their heads imagines this Ho representing M14 million Zimbabwe at any level of international politics? UN? SADC?
You think if you can’t put food on the table now you will be able to make your table overflow under that vacuous Bimbo?
You think any other country out there will have any respect or trust for her as leader and international banks will suddenly pour millions into Zimbabwe? (with her track record??)
She has appropriated vast tracts of land,owns all manner of dubious business all questionable no one in the international world will touch her with a badge pole. She is the worst nightmare Zimbabwe could have as leader.
That we are even discussing the possibility is lowering ourselves to the level of her.
Aya ndiwo anonzi mahumbwe manji aya. Tinonyarirepi
This is exactly the same as Al Capone setting up another gangster to take over his gang. The terrible difference though, is he did not control a country! This is what Zimbabwe has been lumped with for thirty four years. A terrible gang of thieves and looters. Nothing more, nothing less. They have held absolute power simple because all the top military and police members are part of the same gang and they are the strongmen that keep the poor Povo in line. Those that would, say NO are harshly dealt with, as everyone knows. It would make at great fiction novel if that is what it was. But unfortunately it is a terrible reality. How long can this abomination continue?
I wonder if Grace does even have 5 O Levels in one sitting let alone adequate A Level points to enter University. She could not even do BA english successfully, bit opted for Chinese institution, any thing from China is fake or substandard and everyone knows that except the first family with their stron belief of look east policy even though they want to buy in Harolds London and hence cry so loudly about so called sanctions. Any way I am even beginning to doubt the so much aclaimed Bonas qualifications. Why did she have to do those studies in Hong Kong when her father is the Chancellor of Zimbabwe. Its highly possible that they are fake or even awarded without meeting the degree grade. They may have failed to cheat Zim Sec other wise the Chatungas and the Juniors will be considered graduants too. Any way the truth is that a degree is a paper, anyone with authority to influence can have it written whatever they want on it. What is critical is that which is in the head of the receiver. Mugabe has many degree papers, but what he has delivered so far in Zimbabwe as a leader says it all. What is clear is that he can shout and call names to almost every one. The Mbare people were once called people withouts toetems and so forth. White people been insulted and yet he can not even sleep well wanting to go and shop in America and Britain.