ZANU PF yesterday said the party’s succession matrix would always be guided by its constitution and remained a straitjacket where the most senior party member would succeed an incumbent party leader.
Addressing a Press briefing in Harare, acting national
spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa said Zanu PF remained guided by the constitution
in dealing with the succession issue.
“Zanu PF has a constitution and under that constitution, we
sit as a congress to elect our president,” Chinamasa said.
“In 1977, a lot of the leaders had fallen by the wayside.
The most senior person in rank remaining was (the late) Cde Robert Mugabe and
at the congress in Chimoio, he was elected president of Zanu then,” Chinamasa said.
“In November (2017), exactly on the basis of the precedence
of 1977, exactly that is what happened when it became very clear that our
constitution was being trampled upon by the G40 cabal and that they were
threatening the stability of the nation, the party moved in and we elected, at
our December congress, President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa as leader of Zanu PF.”
Chinamasa also said Mnangagwa had become the target of the G40
cabal as it was clear, by virtue of him being the most senior in the party,
that he was going to take over as president of the party and country.
The succession issue in Zanu PF has remained a thorny issue
that which at one time pitted Mugabe. Mnangagwa, former Vice-President Joice
Mujuru and the G40.
Mnangagwa, in 2004 led a foiled palace coup dubbed the
Tsholotsho Declaration that sought to catapult him from a distant position in
the party hierarchy to the vice-presidency that could have immediately
positioned him to take over from Mugabe.
Mujuru fell in 2014, but that did not herald the end of
factionalism in the party, with the G40, backed by Mugabe, emerging to pose a
serious threat to Mnangagwa.
The G40 cabal was, however, vanquished during a military
coup that ousted Mugabe in November 2017.
Zanu PF secretary for war veterans Douglas Mahiya supported
Chinamasa, saying the most senior person in the party automatically took over.
Mahiya said: “We are guided by the revolutionary
fundamentals to continue with the revolution forever.
“We were very clear, we did not tell the former President
to resign; we did not say he must go away.
“We simply told him (Mugabe) that when your time is up, you
do not mislead the nation or do the wrong thing against what is dictated by the
revolution to give the power of this country to any other, other than the
people.”
Mahiya said Mnangagwa was the most senior person to take
over from Mugabe. Chinamasa said a lot of developments occurred before and
during the coup period, but the party was not yet ready to disclose them at the
moment.
“Behind the scenes, a lot took place, but it is too early
to say. The further from November 2017, the more likely we are going to tell
you.”
He said the succession in Zanu PF was a straitjacket and
while it allowed everyone to manoeuvre “within the straitjacket, no one could
manoeuvre outside it”.
Chinamasa described the month of November as a “sacred
month” for the party and the country” as it gave birth to a “new dispensation”
after years of “regrettable events”.
“We are yet to heal. These were the worst ever days in the
chapter of the life of our President, Cde ED Mnangagwa, worse than the hanging
sentence because then, it was the enemy he had chosen to fight against
notwithstanding any consequences.”
Chinamasa said the party had “already won” the 2023
elections two years before the polls are held despite several challenges the
party has faced in turning around the economy that include natural disasters.
Chinamasa did not elaborate on how the party “has won” the
elections but told journalists that under Mnangagwa, the government had
weathered the storm and was on the right track.
“2023 is a dead rubber election. It’s over before voting,”
Chinamasa declared, adding the ruling party had faced its fair share of
challenges, including COVID-19, Cyclone Idai, sanctions and violence, among
other issues. Newsday
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