Engineering Zimbabwe's political dynasty? Grace Mugabe next president?

[Dingswayo]

Engineering Zimbabwe's political dynasty? ... President Robert Mugabe and wife Grace


THE birth of a dynasty is not an easy thing to predict.

But many Zimbabweans now seem preoccupied by the tantalising possibility that the Mugabes are seeking to join the list - admittedly a shrinking list - of families who have managed to pass the reins of power across the dinner table.
President Robert Mugabe is 90. His second wife, Grace, is 49.

Succession speculation has been a constant theme for years in Zimbabwe, but Grace Mugabe has only recently emerged as a possible contender.

Outsiders are likely to have heard of the president's former secretary in exclusively dubious terms - for her allegedly extravagant shopping habits; for the incident when she punched a British journalist in Hong Kong; and other alleged excesses.

Zimbabwe's state media, by contrast, have sought to highlight her devotion to charity work.

The notion of a "President Grace" first gained currency in August when the First Lady - a political novice - was unexpectedly endorsed as the next leader of the governing Zanu PF's Women's League - a powerful role - to be confirmed at the party's congress in December.

Fuel was added to the fire this month when the first lady became Dr Mugabe - awarded a PhD in sociology just two months after enrolling at the University of Zimbabwe, and with her thesis curiously absent from the institution's online archives.

When I rang up Zanu PF's spokesman Rugare Gumbo for his analysis of Grace's embryonic political career, it quickly became clear that the topic was an uncomfortable one.

"Please no... I'm not answering anything related to that... Come on, you can't ask me why not," said Gumbo rather briskly.

So what is going on?

There are - appropriately enough for such a tale of palace intrigue - multiple theories.

'Major miscalculation'

The most down-to-earth analysis holds that Grace Mugabe has no chance of being president, and is being used by one faction within Zanu PF.

"It's very easy to explain. She's been brought in as a means to stop Joyce Mujuru by any means," said the veteran political commentator Ibbo Mandaza.

Vice-President Mujuru is seen as a leading contender to succeed President Mugabe.

The theory goes that her long-standing rival, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is promoting Grace Mugabe as a short-term ploy to sideline Mujuru.


Source: newzimbabwe

Grace poser: So what is really going on?