The party’s secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, this week confirmed that the congress agenda had been set, triggering heightened jockeying.
Most attention will be focused on the position of party president, and the incumbent, Robert Mugabe, faces a stiff challenge to his stranglehold on the top position – mainly due to the failure of his regime to stop the crippling economic recession.
Mugabe’s adversaries are plotting a way of kicking him, effectively trying to pass a vote of no confidence in him, an official said. Campaigning is getting hot and Mugabe’s strategy is already clear, he will use the mobocracy route through war veterans, youths and women to besiege the congress in typical militant style.
Mutasa declined to discuss the modalities of choosing the leadership that will be used at the special congress but the usual practice is that of having provinces elect the leadership, in which case, sources say, Mugabe faces an embarrassing defeat because the majority of provinces are reportedly against him.
He (Mugabe) will be in real trouble if he doesn’t come up with a way of subverting the process because the majority of provinces are against his candidature, the source said.
Vice President Joice Mujuru and Rural Housing minister Emmerson Mnangagwa are the leading contenders, while former Finance minister, Simba Makoni, has spoken out against the regime’s ruinous policies and last week told The Zimbabwean he would consider contesting if approached. – Itai Dzamara   Â
Post published in: News