Mugabe on the move
The controversy surrounding picking a succesor for when Mugabe retires in 2008 continues to dog ZANU-PF. For years Zimbabwean media have speculated that there a two factions within ZANU. The first faction is led by retired army general Solomon Mujuru while long time Mugabe confidante Emmerson Mnangagwa leads the other. The rivalry between these two camps has been so intense, it seriously threatened to undo ZANU-PF late last year in the run up to the party's congress.
The Mujuru faction now has a distinct upper hand after Mugabe followed up the appointment of Joyce Mujuru (yes, the general's wife) to vice president and dismissal of Jonathan Moyo (Mnangagwa alligned former information minister) with a cabinet reshuffle Monday.
The Zimbabwean president made a series of government appointments signalling his commitment to obliterating the Mnangagwa faction. He appointed four new governers all from the Mujuru faction while deposing Josiah Hungwe (longstanding Masvingo governor) who is known to have been pro-Mnangagwa and is replacing Emmerson Mnangagwa with ZANU-PF national chairman John Nkomo as speaker of parliament--the third most powerful position in government. Read about it here.
Where does this leave Mnangagwa we wonder (for he is no lightweight in ZANU politics and has a history full of secrets that could undo Mugabe)?
Read this for more background.
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe government, Mugabe
The Mujuru faction now has a distinct upper hand after Mugabe followed up the appointment of Joyce Mujuru (yes, the general's wife) to vice president and dismissal of Jonathan Moyo (Mnangagwa alligned former information minister) with a cabinet reshuffle Monday.
The Zimbabwean president made a series of government appointments signalling his commitment to obliterating the Mnangagwa faction. He appointed four new governers all from the Mujuru faction while deposing Josiah Hungwe (longstanding Masvingo governor) who is known to have been pro-Mnangagwa and is replacing Emmerson Mnangagwa with ZANU-PF national chairman John Nkomo as speaker of parliament--the third most powerful position in government. Read about it here.
Where does this leave Mnangagwa we wonder (for he is no lightweight in ZANU politics and has a history full of secrets that could undo Mugabe)?
Read this for more background.
Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe government, Mugabe
