President Robert Mugabe railroaded Zanu PF to convert its
December conference into a congress in order to force out his deputy Emmerson
Mnangagwa, insiders have revealed.
In what appears to be a choreographed move, Zanu PF
structures have been passing resolutions calling for the congress ostensibly to
endorse Mugabe as the party’s 2018 candidate.
Sources said Mugabe did not need congress to be endorsed as
a presidential candidate, but wanted it to deal with his contentious
succession.
Mugabe’s wife Grace does not want Mnangagwa to be
Zimbabwe’s next leader.
The president has also become hostile towards the VP at
public events and behind the scenes. A fortnight ago Mugabe stripped Mnangagwa
of the Justice ministry and fired three ministers linked to the VP as the purge
went into full swing.
A few days later, the Zanu PF politburo agreed to change
the December conference into a congress, signalling heightened attacks against
Mnangagwa.
“While all 10 provincial executive councils have called for
an extraordinary session of congress to reaffirm and confirm President Mugabe
as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2018 elections, this is not in
itself the real deal because the president’s candidature does not require
confirmation by congress,” said a source.
“Section 33(3) of the party makes it clear that it is the
duty of the National People’s Conference ‘to declare the president of the party
elected at congress as the State Presidential Candidate of the Party’”.
The source added: “This means the purpose of the
extraordinary congress is not about affirming or confirming Mugabe as the
party’s presidential candidate in the 2018 general election. Just like the 2014
congress was about booting out Joice Mujuru and burying her gamatox faction,
the 2017 extraordinary congress coming 10 years after the last extraordinary
congress held in 2007, will boot out Mnangagwa and bury his Lacoste faction.”
Another senior party official revealed to The Standard that
the congress would also likely make several critical decisions, including
changing the party’s constitution.
“The idea is to give the president legitimacy to
reconstitute his presidium as well as politburo,” said the official.
Mugabe, the source said, was aware that due to age, time
was no longer on his side and was in a hurry to line up his ducks in the
succession race.
“There will be many changes at the congress and one of the
changes will be the implementation of a constitutional clause to put a woman in
the presidium, as well as changing the constitution to give Mugabe powers to
appoint his successor,” said the source.
Grace has publicly called on Mugabe to name his successor,
but the 93-year-old said the constitution did not allow him to do that.
UK-based lawyer and political analyst, Alex Magaisa said
the special congress would be used to change the party’s constitution in favour
of Mugabe.
“Such a congress does not deal with general issues.
Instead, according to the Zanu PF constitution, it deals with ‘only those
matters for which it has been specifically convened.’ This is the legal
framework in which the
special congress in December has been called,” Magaisa
wrote on his blog.
Magaisa said Mugabe was the brain behind the congress to
achieve his political goals that include using the indaba to realign the
politburo and central committee to weaken his deputy.
“The 2018 election is not far off and Mugabe will want to
feign unity at the special congress,” Magaisa said.
“He knows that Mnangagwa will remain submissive as long as
he remains part of the system.
“Nevertheless, the special congress will be used to further
dismantle any pillars of support that Mnangagwa still retains within the party,
while strengthening a rival.
“The special congress will give Mugabe the opportunity to
reorganise the Central Committee and the Politburo.
“There, key allies of Mnangagwa will be dropped and new
actors like the new Justice Minister and former Director General of the CIO,
Happyton Bonyongwe will be appointed to take on key roles. Those who have
fallen out of favour will be dropped.”
Magaisa said what was clear was that provinces agreed that
the congress would endorse Mugabe, but varied greatly on the other objectives
with other provinces like Bulawayo claiming the congress would “assist the
party to realign itself and allow for self-fumigation”.
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo was not reachable to
bring light to the issue.
special congress in December has been called,” Magaisa
wrote on his blog.
Magaisa said Mugabe was the brain behind the congress to
achieve his political goals that include using the indaba to realign the
politburo and central committee to weaken his deputy.
“The 2018 election is not far off and Mugabe will want to
feign unity at the special congress,” Magaisa said.
“He knows that Mnangagwa will remain submissive as long as
he remains part of the system.
“Nevertheless, the special congress will be used to further
dismantle any pillars of support that Mnangagwa still retains within the party,
while strengthening a rival.
“The special congress will give Mugabe the opportunity to
reorganise the Central Committee and the Politburo.
“There, key allies of Mnangagwa will be dropped and new
actors like the new Justice minister and former director general of the CIO,
Happyton Bonyongwe will be appointed to take on key roles. Those who have
fallen out of favour will be dropped.”
Magaisa said what was clear was that provinces agreed that
the congress would endorse Mugabe, but varied greatly on the other objectives,
with other provinces like Bulawayo claiming the congress would “assist the
party to realign itself and allow for self-fumigation”.
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo was not reachable to
bring light to the issue. Standard
0 comments:
Post a Comment