First Lady Grace Mugabe last Friday appeared to retreat in the fluid race to succeed her ageing husband after what appeared to be her endorsement of Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, but analysts warned it could be a tactical move to check mate her rivals.
BY RICHARD CHIDZA
Grace told a rally in Mberengwa that Mnangagwa was her senior and she was not in a race with him to succeed President Robert Mugabe.
In her three rallies across the country she sought to downplay chances of succeeding her 91- year-old husband whose increasing frailty has become a source of embarrassment at international events.
Academic Ibbo Mandaza said Grace’s gesture towards Mnangagwa should not be mistaken for a retreat in the succession marathon, but a confirmation that she already sees herself operating at Mugabe’s level.
“She has just confirmed that she does not need a faction but is already in power,” he said.
“She is now the new centre of power and can do as she pleases.
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“Grace has morphed into an equivalent of Mugabe and there is unfortunately nothing that any of the VPs can do about it. “The declaration that Mugabe can rule from a wheelchair has the implications of turning her into a defacto president because she knows she can then be in-charge. There is no hope for her challengers.”
Mandaza was referring to Grace’s comments at a rally in Harare that “Mugabe can rule from a wheelchair because we love him”.
However, University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred Masunungure said Grace’s overtures to Mnangagwa could be an attempt to unite the party following the past year’s “traumatic events”.
“Her position could be that Zanu PF can ill-afford more purges and the continued destabilisation that this has brought to the ruling party,” he said.
“She is showing concern for the welfare of the party and saying the party should begin to heal and if possible, bring some of those kicked out slowly through some kind of rehabilitation.”
Grace was previously believed to belong to faction known as G40 that is pushing for her to succeed Mugabe ahead of Mnangagwa.
Meanwhile, at the Harare rally, Grace stunned Zanu PF supporters when she declared that suspended Mbare MP Tendai Savanhu was her point person in the constituency.
Savanhu was suspended along with tens of other party officials for allegedly supporting former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
“What is not clear, however, is if she meant that the suspension on Savanhu has been lifted and I think maybe her argument is based on agitations by members of the party in Mbare to have Savanhu recalled from Parliament,” Masunungure said.
Masunungure said Grace’s decision to “pardon Savanhu” could cause problems for the ruling party.
“It speaks volumes to the extent of her power and sway within the party and in particular, outside it,” he said. “Such suspensions should ordinarily be lifted after going through the processes such as required by the party’s disciplinary procedure, including recommendations to the politburo.
“It is the organ that effected the suspensions and for Mugabe’s wife to overrule these at a rally should be the height of impudence.
“It will be a big blow to those within the party who still believe in the sanctity of procedures and regulations. “The party could collapse, or at the very least there is a danger of that happening if podium populist rants are going to be taken seriously and used as yardsticks for party processes.”
He said Grace had also “outed Mugabe” after revealing she was doing the Zanu PF leader’s bidding.
Mugabe had hidden behind Grace in the removal of Mujuru and other stalwarts of the guerrilla struggle on flimsy allegations.
“Another thing that is probably more telling is that Grace hung Mugabe out to dry,” Masunungure said. “While the president has claimed that the First Lady is an independent individual and politician who can make her own decisions political or otherwise, she literally let the cat out of the bag. “By revealing that she has been sent by Mugabe and that she is doing his bidding, this puts paid to Mugabe’s claims.
“It is for me, a telling contradiction and now all Zimbabweans know it was at Mugabe’s behest that Grace has been operating and will continue to. She has turned into his spokesperson and paratrooper,” he added.
But Kent University lecture and political commentator Alex Magaisa said Grace was using the Chinese Art of War master Sun Tsu’s tactics to bring Mujuru’s supporters back into the party.
“I think she is trying to build bridges. She realises she has isolated a number of people,” he said.
“Now she wants to court the pro-Mujuru people to bolster her side. She knows they still yearn to return to Zanu PF.
“Sun Tzu says in war, you must offer your opponent the golden bridge, show them the way to life. This is what she is doing, not just to Savanhu, but to all pro-Mujuru people who are beleaguered.”
Savanhu was slapped with a five-year suspension by the Zanu PF politburo chaired by Mugabe in May this year after he was accused of being a member of Mujuru’s faction.
Mugabe denies that Zanu PF is divided over his succession, claiming the chasm is a creation of the media.
