Can Mnangagwa survive the chop?

By Mugove Tafirenyika

It is becoming increasingly clear with each passing day that embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF enemies are leaving nothing to chance as they work systematically to drown his mooted presidential ambitions.

The Daily News also found out that the ruling party’s women’s league is already moving to take advantage of the growing calls by Mnangagwa’s foes within the former liberation movement for an extra-ordinary congress, to revive their demand for one of their own to become vice president at the expense of the Midlands godfather.

“We support the idea of an extraordinary congress to stabilise the party which is being rocked by appointed officials. But there will not be need for us to push very hard for a return of the women’s quota system because we have already done that successfully and all we are waiting for is the action.

“Besides, 2016 is not finished yet and so there is no reason for us to panic about this, as this is something that was agreed to by the party’s organs, including the politburo, and even the VPs themselves agreed to it. So, isu hatina nhamo. Zvedu zvakarongeka

(We have no problem. Our strategy is in order), ” Zanu PF women’s league secretary for finance, Sarah Mahoka, said on Friday.

This comes as Zanu PF’s newly-installed acting chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans’ Association, Mandi Chimene, called on Mugabe to either fire Mnangagwa or call for an extra-ordinary congress where the VP would ostensibly be dealt with.

In a no-holds-barred blitzkrieg on the embattled VP, Chimene bluntly accused Mnangagwa on Wednesday of plotting to unseat Mugabe from power.

“There are now two governments in power and we don’t know for how long we are going to continue with parallel structures where some ministers don’t report to the president.

“So we have said let’s go for an extra-ordinary congress and if it’s is expensive we can just do it right away and have you line up with your supporters and see who has the people,” Chimene charged as Zanu PF supporters met in Harare to undress Mnangagwa.

Tellingly, similar sentiments were also expressed by the Zanu PF youth league, which backs the party faction that is known as the Generation 40 group (G40), which rabidly opposes Mnangagwa as a possible successor to Mugabe.

“Like I said in Manicaland recently, we are not happy that there are appointed officials in the party who are serving at the president’s pleasure but who are now causing confusion.

“We now want everybody in the politburo to be elected and we know our president will be re-elected, and so we want those who also think they have the support and want to lead the party to seek a mandate from the people,” youth league deputy secretary Kudzanai Chipanga said.

The Daily News has also been informed by other well-placed Zanu PF sources that Mnangagwa’s hopes of succeeding the increasingly frail Mugabe were “as good as dead”.

“All that is happening is about succession. (Vice President Phelekezela) Mphoko has the support of the G40 camp, which is pushing for Mnangagwa’s ouster. The push for the women’s quota is to get rid of Mnangagwa from the presidium, to eliminate his chances of taking over as president one day,” one of the sources said.

Mnangagwa, who was until last year heavily tipped to take over from Mugabe, was derailed from being a possible successor to Mugabe by the same policy in 2004 when the women’s league also underhandedly pushed for the elevation of former Vice President Joice Mujuru to be one of the nonagenarian’s deputies. Daily News