Zanu PF congress, same damp squib

ALL roads today literally lead to the capital, Harare, where President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF holds its elective congress amid the controversial ousting of politicians suspected to be holding a brief for beleaguered Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

ALL roads today literally lead to the capital, Harare, where President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF holds its elective congress amid the controversial ousting of politicians suspected to be holding a brief for beleaguered Vice-President Joice Mujuru.

Mujuru, wife of the late General Solomon Mujuru who died in a mysterious fire two years ago, has been widely viewed as the natural successor to Mugabe due to the party’s respect for seniority in the party, having deputised Mugabe for the past ten years.

 Vice-President Joice Mujuru
Vice-President Joice Mujuru

But lo and behold, political vultures vehemently against such a scenario have been positioning themselves to succeed Mugabe when the time is ripe, using the past three months or so to tear into VP Mujuru’s political CV, casting aspersions about her leadership qualities, with growing choruses for her to quit getting louder and purges continuing even on the eve of the congress.

Just yesterday this newspaper revealed how the political circus has turned ugly in Matabeleland North, a province First Lady Grace Mugabe a few weeks ago described as the best run province bereft of factionalism, now with brother turning against brother .

Obert Mpofu, the perceived kingmaker in Matabeleland, is reportedly fighting for his political life after being accused, rightly or wrongly, of masterminding the controversial ouster of his homeboy, Parliament Speaker Jacob Mudenda, Sithembiso Nyoni and three others.

Transport minister Obert Mpofu
Transport minister Obert Mpofu

Accusations and counter-accusations have been flying around as the Zanu PF Matabeleland North chairman Richard Moyo on Monday insisted the decision to boot Mudenda, Nyoni and the other three still stood.

We don’t have a brief for VP Mujuru but it is our humble submission that the political machinations in Zanu PF ahead of congress give us a helicopter view of what is likely to transpire — more of the same.

It is most likely to be much ado about nothing considering that it will not be an elective congress per se.

Mugabe and the First Lady have both been unanimously nominated by all provinces unopposed as first secretary and Zanu PF women’s league boss respectively.