Army urges Mugabe to go
Zimbabwean army generals urged President Robert Mugabe to quit and anoint a successor on the eve of the governing party’s Victoria Falls conference to enhance Zanu PF’s chances in next year’s crucial presidential election, it was learnt this week.
Authoritative sources said the top generals, under the umbrella of the Joint Operation Command (JOC), met Mugabe in one of their regular briefings just before the conference at the weekend to “reflect” on his and ZANU PF’s chances in the election set for March.
The JOC comprises General Vitalis Zvinavashe, Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Constantine Chiwenga, Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, Air Marshall Perence Shiri of the Airforce, Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri and Elisha Muzonzini, Director-General of the spy Central Intelligence Organisation.
In the meeting, the sources said, the generals expressed feelings that Zanu PF’s chances in next year’s poll could be enhanced by a new unifying candidate given the rampant factionalism which has torn Zanu PF and resulted in its dwindling national support base in recent months.
Mugabe has vowed to crush his opponent, the Movement for Democratic Change’s Morgan Tsvangirai, in the ballot, but analysts say the 77-year-old President no longer has the stamina nor the appeal to woo a restless and angry electorate.
According to the highly placed sources, it was pointed out to Mugabe in the meeting that his support base in former Zanu PF strongholds such as Masvingo, the Midlands and Manicaland had dwindled and that he could only bank on the Mashonaland vote.
Other sources said the generals’ feelings are shared by a number of senior Zanu PF officials and it was hoped that the suggestion of a new candidate would be tabled at Victoria Falls but it never even made it to the party’s provisional agenda.
It was not immediately clear how Mugabe responded to the JOC concerns but the sources said the Zanu PF leader, whose candidacy was endorsed at Victoria Falls, tried to address the issue of factionalism and dwindling support by urging supporters to close ranks and rally behind him.
According to other sources, if Mugabe had accepted the gentle nudge to quit, he would then have used the conference to announce his departure from active politics and appoint a team of four senior Zanu PF officials, one of whom would be picked to contest the presidential election.
The four mentioned were Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo, former Zanu PF Matabeleland strongman Dumiso Dabengwa, party economic czar Simba Makoni and Speaker of the House Emmerson Mnangagwa, his own blue-eyed boy.
Although details of the proposed succession plan remained sketchy, the sources said Nkomo, as party chairman and the most senior of the quartet, was likely to have been chosen to succeed Mugabe. Another suggestion was that the four would then agree to take turns at the helm of the party and the country in six-year-term turns.
The plan, which apparently has the blessing of many party heavyweights, is viewed as the best antidote to contain the rising groundswell locally and internationally against Mugabe’s iron-fisted rule of 21 years.
Mugabe, in power since Zimbabwe’s independence from Britain, is largely blamed for the collapse of the economy and the deterioration of law and order in the southern African country. It is believed that his orderly and managed departure would have pleased Western donors and Zimbabwe’s key supporters such as South Africa who have become increasingly concerned about the ageing leader’s style of governance.
Meanwhile, it also emerged that Zvinavashe recently summoned former Zanu PF Masvingo provincial chairman Dzikamai Mavhaire in the presence of Shiri to hear first-hand the state of the party in the strife-torn province and ask for his support to help Mugabe’s re-election. Mavhaire and former party leader and mentor Eddison Zvobgo have boycotted campaign rallies for Mugabe’s re-election in Masvingo since Mavhaire’s executive was booted out in a controversial party poll earlier this year.
The two failed to attend the Victoria Falls conference.
Posted by Wellington Chadehumbe
on December 20, 2001. Filed under Politics.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Socialize
