VP Mnangagwa suffers huge blow

Politics
Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s momentum in the fluid battle to succeed President Robert Mugabe was pegged back dramatically at the just-ended Zanu PF conference after proposals to change the party’s constitution gained traction in influential wings.
  • Women demand VP’s post
  • ‘Mafioso’ resolution wins support
  • Mnangagwa seen as the target
  • Mugabe decries factionalism

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s momentum in the fluid battle to succeed President Robert Mugabe was pegged back dramatically at the just-ended Zanu PF conference after proposals to change the party’s constitution gained traction in influential wings.

By Tatenda Chitagu/Everson Mushava/Elias Mambo

Ahead of the four-day conference held in Masvingo, the proposals to drop the party’s so-called one centre of power policy and restore elections for Mugabe’s deputies was denounced by Mnangagwa’s loyalists, who used state-controlled media to label the proponents of the changes enemies of the 92-year-old leader.

A faction loyal to first lady Grace Mugabe known as G40 believes that Mnangagwa would not win an internal poll in the party, hence elections would reduce his chances of succeeding the veteran leader.

The resolution that was denounced by Mnangagwa loyalists as an alleged coup attempt, found expression in Zanu PF’s thematic committees that presented their reports before the conference that ended yesterday evening.

Only six key party organs presented their thematic reports that were laden with factional undertones, while the provincial chairpersons were asked to submit their resolutions to the party headquarters.

Under normal circumstances, resolutions from all thematic committees and by provinces are presented and adopted before the close of the conference.

The commissariat, women and youth leagues all came out in support of the resolution to end the one centre of power policy.

The resolution, now called the “Mafioso resolution” by the Mnangagwa faction after the Mashonaland Central provincial chairperson Dickson Mafios, sought to have the constitution of Zanu PF amended so that Mugabe would no longer cherrypick his deputies.

The women’s league also reactivated their demand to have one of the VP posts reserved for a woman, a move also seen as a plot to torpedo Mnangagwa.

First to present the state of the party thematic report was Zanu PF commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, who immediately after endorsing Mugabe’s candidature in the 2018 general elections, upheld the “Mafioso” resolution after calling on all party positions to be open for election.

“Guided by the president’s call that all party leaders must come from the people, the committee recommends that all leadership positions in the party, from cell up to the presidium, be subjected to a popular election process,” Kasukuwere said while reading the resolutions.

He did not read out all the resolutions as presenters were only given five minutes on the podium.

Kasukuwere also took a dig at the state media for allegedly failing to constructively criticise government and party leadership, an attack also viewed as a direct condemnation of the pliant media’s perceived support of Mnangagwa.

Similarly, the women’s affairs and youth affairs committee also sang from the same hymn book with Kasukuwere.

Presenting his report, Zanu PF youth league secretary Kudzai Chipanga said the party must punish and discipline those who engaged in factionalism, tribalism, corruption and nepotism.

He likened Mugabe to the main actor in a film, saying all the drama would continue until the film ends with the president’s death.

“That the party should do away with imposition of candidates and vote buying, everyone who seeks political office should be elected by the people,” Chipanga said in a resolution seen as an endorsement of the “Mafioso” resolution.

Eunice Sandi Moyo, who read the women’s affairs thematic report, seemed determined to compound Mnangwagwa’s woes after calling for the implementation of the 2015 Victoria Falls resolution to have one woman as vice-president in the presidium.

“We are concerned with lack of implementation of party resolutions made in 2015 in Victoria Falls,” she said.

“We made it clear that we wanted the constitution to be changed to allow an earlier provision that one of the two VPs should be a woman. This has not been implemented.”

She also called on the party leadership to instil discipline among Zanu PF members.

Yesterday, the provincial chairpersons who were also supposed to present their resolutions, as has been the norm, failed to do so.

In Victoria Falls last year, provincial chairpersons read out the resolutions but they were not adopted resulting in many of them not being implemented.

However, Kasukuwere said the resolutions would stand even if they were not adopted. He said the thematic reports would be consolidated with reports from provincial structures.

“Is there anyone who objected to the resolutions?” Kasukuwere asked before hanging up.

In his closing remarks, a rather subdued Mugabe said the conference presented an opportunity for the party to reorganise for the 2018 elections.

Mugabe castigated factionalism and urged Zanu PF members to redirect their energy to the party’s once cherished unity if it is to win the next elections.

He called on party members to respect each other, be more disciplined, saying he hoped the conference had managed to address the various concerns by Zanu PF delegates.