Zanu PF in battle over VP succession

HARARE, Wednesday

The succession race to replace Zimbabwe’s late Vice President Joseph Msika has thrown President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party into turmoil ahead of its crucial congress in December.

A candidate who wins nomination to become the country’s joint Vice President with Mrs Joice Mujuru will be in good stead to succeed the ageing Mr Mugabe when he finally decides to retire.

Zanu PF is struggling to avoid disintegration after its influence was diminished by an unprecedented loss in parliamentary elections where it was eclipsed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change.

Mr Mugabe was forced to form a three way coalition government with the two MDC formations led by Mr Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.

The escalating power struggles within Zanu PF have deepened internal strife in a party already battling to prevent inevitable defeat by the larger MDC in the next elections.

A deadline by the party’s top decision making body outside congress – the communist style politburo – for three provinces in southern Zimbabwe to select their choice for VP ended on Wednesday with the main structures still wrangling over selection criteria.

According to a unity accord signed between the old Zanu PF and late Vice President Joshua Nkomo’s PF Zapu, the second secretary for the unified Zanu PF who automatically becomes the joint Vice President must come from the southern parts of the country where Zapu was dominant.

Zanu PF chairman and co-minister of National Healing Mr John Nkomo was the front runner in the race until a 31 year old man claimed that he sodomised him in 2002.

Police are still investigating the case although there are unconfirmed reports the man escaped to South Africa saying he feared victimisation.

The allegations have dented Mr Mugabe’s credentials and Zimbabwe’s former liberation war fighters say they don’t want him to take over the senior post.

Mr Mugabe also hates homosexuals with a passion and once described them as worse than dogs and pigs.

A string of other candidates has since sprung up in the region and are now challenging the selection criteria and threatening chaos in the party.

Zanu PF secretary for administration, Mr Didymus Mutasa said the party had suspended its weekly meeting that was set for Wednesday and there was speculation that Mr Mugabe wanted to address the warring factions before a decision is made on the VP.

"We will not be sitting today and I cannot say when the politburo will meet, but it should be emphasised that we will be meeting soon," he said.