Mugabe nephew strikes again

News
President Robert Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao says no leader in Zanu PF is fit to succeed the 93-year-old ruler in yet another pointed attack on Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

President Robert Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao says no leader in Zanu PF is fit to succeed the 93-year-old ruler in yet another pointed attack on Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe

Mnangagwa is seen in some quarters as the frontrunner to succeed Mugabe, whose increasing fraility has cast doubts about his ability to stand for another term.

Mugabe in February claimed that there was no suitable successor for him in Zanu PF at the moment as he justified his resolve to hang on to power.

Zhuwao told The Standard in an exclusive interview as he defended his controversial appointment of Mugabe’s daughter Bona to the proposed Empower Bank board, that his uncle was not going to be pushed out anytime soon.

“I am sure you heard the president during his interview on the occasion of his birthday and the majority of Zimbabweans do not see anyone who can succeed him,” he said.

“Even myself, there is no one I can see who has the potential to succeed the president.

When asked about Mnangagwa’s chances, Zhuwao said there would be no debate about Mugabe’s successor until he finishes his next term if he wins the 2018 elections.

“A successionist conversation will only be held in five years’ time but in the meantime, people should do the jobs they were assigned and not do senseless things and start talking about succession,” he said.

Zhuwao has been linked to the G40 faction in Zanu PF that accuses Mnangagwa of trying to use his position to plot against Mugabe.

“Those that are canvassing for support should know that they don’t have my support because they are doing the wrong things at the wrong time,” the Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment minister added.

“When the right time comes, I will look at the fact that they were doing the wrongs things.

“This is likely going to influence me to not support them because they have shown a propensity to do wrong things.”

He has in the past accused Mnangagwa of using unorthodox means to get power.