Emmerson Mnangagwa, minister of Defence and President Robert Mugabe's preferred successor, and commander of the defence forces Constantine Chiwenga are the main contenders.
This has created camps in the armed forces, say senior army sources. Mnangagwa can only count on the support of a few army officers who are Mugabe's loyalists, say the sources.
Our military sources say the hierarchy from colonel upwards has been sucked into the vortex of the increasingly dangerous Zanu (PF) succession matrix.
Chiwenga enjoys the support of most of the army's top brass and wields considerable power over the troubled transition.
Also involved in the battle for the soul of the army is the shadow of retired former army commander, Solomon Mujuru, long recognised as the kingmaker.
His wife Joice is Mugabe's deputy and directly the next in line to succeed him. She is widely seen as the general's proxy. Sydney Sekeramayi, the minister in charge of Intelligence, is another contender. He is believed to enjoy the support of the spy agency but not its boss, Happton Bonyongwe.
The ructions are widening amid fears in the ruling cabal that Mugabe would lose the next election to president of the MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai.
Generals have been threatening to stop Tsvangirai taking power and have openly said they will stage a coup. Frantic meetings between Sekeremayi, Mujuru and senior army officers have reportedly been held in recent days, our source said.
They reportedly resolved that they would resist any attempt to put Mnangagwa in as the next president. They also vowed that Chiwenga's plan to seize power in the event of the President's defeat or demise would be blocked.
Chiwenga is already pushing for a plan to have 25 percent of all legislative seats reserved for retired army officials. He has also reportedly moved to curry favour with the rank and file in the army.
A besieged Mugabe has shot down increasing calls for security sector reforms from SADC – his last bastion of international support, triggering a dog fight as rival factions compete to take control of the most powerful vestige of political power, the army.
Post published in: News