The Prime Minister is said to have met with the ZANU(PF) heavyweight,
who has been confirmed already by Mugabe as his preferred choice for
President, in Harare and at a farm in the Kwekwe area.
Mugabe, told Saturday in a briefing about the meetings, is reported to
have threatened to send the Minister of Defence back into the
"wilderness" (gwenga, was the Shona word Mugabe used, apparently).
Although not immediately clear whether Mugabe was told what the
mettings were about, he immediately saw this as a threat to his
continued grip on power. Mugabe, although he has told Mnangagwa that he
will most certainly now take over as head of ZANU(PF) and eventually
President of Zimbabwe, likes things done his way.
He believes Mnagagwa and Tsvangirai may be planning to sideline him,
now that Mnangagwa is confident of taking over within ZANU(PF.)
I have previously told you about Mnangagwa’s statements to ZANU(PF)
colleagues, where he half-jokingly said he would not mind having
Tsvangirai as his Prime Minister when he takes over the presidency of
Zimbabwe.
It is quite likely that the Prime Minister is trying to negotiate for
the future, perhaps to cement his position within the corridors of
power. It is highly unlikely that the two could be discussing a
situation in which Tsvangirai would try to accomodate Mnangagwa in a
future Tsvangirai presidency.
This is because Mnangagwa’s burning, fierce ambition for the Presidency
means he is unlikely to ever contemplate playing second fiddle to
Tsvangirai.
I just got this news today, so I will try and dig up some more to find
out just what sort of deal these two men are trying to strike.
It may well be all in vain, however, if Mugabe’s mood today is anything
to go by. What it means is that Mnangagwa has not reported on these
meetings to Mugabe, which makes the dictator extremely suspicious.
As for Tsvangirai, I think he is aware that he is playing with fire.
The last time Mnangagwa was suspected of plotting against Mugabe was
when Prof. Jonathan Moyo arranged that meeting in Tsholotsho, at which
support was being drummed up for Mnangagwa to take the vice-presidency
now occupied by Joice Mujuru.
Mugabe swiftly demoted Mnangagwa, relegating him to the Ministry of
Rural Housing and Social Amenities. He was, effectively, "put in the
dog house", as he himself recognised.
He only bounced back in February as Minister of Defence in the
Inclusive Government, a very high accolade indeed to the presumptive
heir. He is trusted, and that is the message Mugabe sought to send,
grateful that The Crocodile had not sought to capitalise on Simba
Makoni’s defection from the party.
Now, however, the Minister of Defence could again very quickly find
himself relegated back to the wilderness if Mugabe believes what he was
told today. It already appears that he does indeed credit the reports.
When his power is "threatened" directly like this, Mugabe is very
predictable. Action will be swift, ruthless. I dare say, on account of
this, he would indeed be willing to let the government fall to pieces,
if it were to come to that.
Or perhaps there is a good enough explanation that he will get from Mnangagwa and all this will simply be a storm in a tea-cup?
http://denfordmagora.blogspot.com/
The Zimbabwe Mail