
“Another Vice President has lost their job as a result of a fall from GRACE” – Seretse Khama Ian Khama (President of Botswana, 7th November 2017).
We should know now that everything is prepared for succession of Grace Mugabe to become President, she is preparing through her allies within Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), though her alliance within the G-40 group, while trying to send the Team Lacoste out. This has now been done with the axing of VP Emmerson Mnangawa, but what they forget is the already tiredness of the Mugabe presidency and the eminent problems coming with elections and hyper-inflation. It is not like the rise of Grace Mugabe from Robert Mugabe will be smooth in anyways. This has even been reported in September 2017:
“First lady Grace Mugabe was on Friday told to her face that she is the leader of the G40 faction in Zanu PF as members of Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Team Lacoste launched a spirited fight back during a tense central committee meeting, it has been revealed” (…) “Betty Mutero, a key Mnangagwa backer, is said to have thrown the cat among the pigeons when she claimed that G40 wanted to kill Mnangagwa and that Grace was the faction’s leader. “She said G40 wanted to kill Mnangagwa so that Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko would take over as acting VP and pass on power to Grace in the event that Mugabe is incapacitated,” a well-placed source said. “She said G40 kingpins will then wrest power from Grace. She said the president was being lied to that VP Mnangagwa wanted to take over power from him.” (The Standard, 2017).
So when this sort of stories are coming in the months before the sacking, the Lacoste Team and the G-40 was clearly barricaded against each other. As Grace wanted to get the throne from her husband and be excelled to VP. This is as the allies of Lacoste could be costly, as the meager support for G-40 have been proven, as the Zanu-PF rallies has been booed and not been a festivity of joy of late. Grace Mugabe has been more vocal and trying to prove her role within the administration. Therefore, the latest move of expelling the Lacoste members might be costly in the long-run, while the throne will be moved to the G-40.
As this was reported today:
“HARARE – Several allies of former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa have been fired by their respective provinces, with the decision now awaiting ratification by the Zanu PF politburo.
There was a complete whitewash of Mnangagwa’s acolytes in Manicaland, where a provincial coordinating committee (PCC) meeting held in the mountainous city of Mutare purged 38 of the former vice president’s allies. Zanu PF heavyweights, among them Cyber Security minister Patrick Chinamasa; Water and Climate minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri; Scholarships minister Chris Mushowe; deputy minister of Health and Child Care Win Mlambo; former Cabinet minister Hubert Nyanhongo; deputy minister of Local Government Christopher Chingosho and Buhera West legislator Oliver Mandipaka, were expelled from the party. “There was a resolution that vice president Mnangagwa should be recalled and that we should find his foot-soldiers and make resolutions for their expulsions,” said Zanu PF Manicaland provincial secretary for administration Kenneth Saruchera in announcing the expulsions. This comes as the provinces also stampeded to recommend the elevation of First lady Grace Mugabe, as Mnangagwa’s successor” (Zimbabwe Situation, 07.11.2017).
So clearly the will to consolidate all power around Grace Mugabe is happening as Robert Mugabe is altered by his wife. Grace is de-facto leader and playing the cards of the party, since she is behind the sackings and expelling of fellow Lacoste MPs and Cabinet Members, also the VP Mnangagwa. This will not go down soft. That is why the State Media has a story today like this for the former loyal ally and VP:
“Dismissed Zimbabwean Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been accused by state media of plotting to seize power. No sources were quoted for this information” (…) “In its editorial on Tuesday, the state-owned Chronicle newspaper accused Mnangagwa of attempts to stampede Mr Mugabe, who has led the country for thirty-seven years. “The President had warned his deputy time and again to desist from having grand designs to seize power unconstitutionally,” the Bulawayo-based paper said. The paper accused the removed deputy president of fanning divisions in the Zanu-PF, despite the public knowledge of Generation 40, a pro Zanu PF group, advancing the course of first lady Grace Mugabe (News Africa, 2017).
So the state is already assuming the role of making Mnangagwa the fallen and the treasonous character, even if he has been loyal all along to the paradigm of Zanu-PF. This is done to make excuses and certainty that he cannot establish himself in his role and neither tak away the G-40 takeover of the Zanu-PF. So that Grace can take his role, because the former VP was wrong and trying to overpower Robert Mugabe.
So the G-40 and Grace are using all tricks, but the part of Zanu-PF who are loyal to Mnangagwa will clearly make noise at the Delegates Conference in December, when Grace will most likely become the new VP by the delegates. Even if the disgruntled War-Veterans who has walked away and also the Team Lacoste. All of this is proving the ruthless formation all in and around her. That will not create a better environment, but it would secure her in the short-con, but not for the long-con.
That this can be costly and create friction is clear, as the Zanu-PF cronyism and the sackings to consolidate power, gives Grace and President less people to pay-off, but also new enemies. Since they have thrown them out and expelled them. They will not follow commands and be there for the Presidency, as they are disgruntled former loyalists. In the short term, President Mugabe and wife as VP might be successful in a family takeover of Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe. Even get her to succeed the aging husband, who has advanced age already.
Still, the axing of VP Mnangagwa should be seen as a sign of how the Mugabe family and G-40 wants to take total control of the party, to another level even leaving all of Team Lacoste behind. Like they have done with others in the past. They are just the latest part of Zanu-PF who gotten disenfranchised by Robert Mugabe and his closest allies. Peace.
Reference:
News Africa – ‘ZIMBABWE: STATE MEDIA ACCUSES SACKED VICE PRESIDENT OF PLOTTING A COUP’ (07.11.2017) link: https://newsafricaonline.com/2017/11/07/zimbabwe-state-media-accuses-sacked-vice-president-of-plotting-a-coup/
The Standard – ‘Team Lacoste vs G40: ED ‘poisoning’ triggers vicious fight’ (10.09.2017) link: https://www.thestandard.co.zw/2017/09/10/team-lacoste-vs-g40-ed-poisoning-triggers-vicious-fight/















