News / Local
Mujuru unsettles Mugabe
13 Sep 2015 at 11:09hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's third Cabinet reshuffle in nine months shows that the embattled Zanu-PF leader is struggling to keep the ruling party intact after an unprecedented purge that targeted suspected supporters of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
Friday's reshuffle followed the publication of a manifesto by Mujuru that observers said marked her imminent return to politics, this time as Mugabe's rival.
Political analyst Ibbo Mandaza said the constant realignment of Mugabe's Cabinet showed that the veteran ruler was having sleepless nights trying to deal with the post-Mujuru fallout in Zanu-PF.
"The reshuffles show the impact of the purge that was done last year," Mandaza said.
"The ramifications will not be over soon. Zanu-PF is in a deep crisis and this could signal the end to it. Mugabe is having sleepless nights over Mujuru."
Another analyst, Alexander Rusero, said Mugabe never anticipated the effects of the purge and was now battling to put out the fire engulfing Zanu-PF.
"Mugabe underestimated the effects of the Mujuru purge. He thought her sacking would be the beginning of the end of infighting, but it turned out to be the opposite," he said.
"To say the Zanu-PF of 2015 without Mujuru is better than that of 2013 would be mere fallacy.
"The void left by Mujuru will be difficult to fill. What will rattle Zanu-PF is that she was the stabilising element.
"Her departure means Zanu-PF will have to deal with the shift of power, which explains the reason behind the reshuffles."
Friday's reshuffle followed the publication of a manifesto by Mujuru that observers said marked her imminent return to politics, this time as Mugabe's rival.
Political analyst Ibbo Mandaza said the constant realignment of Mugabe's Cabinet showed that the veteran ruler was having sleepless nights trying to deal with the post-Mujuru fallout in Zanu-PF.
"The reshuffles show the impact of the purge that was done last year," Mandaza said.
"The ramifications will not be over soon. Zanu-PF is in a deep crisis and this could signal the end to it. Mugabe is having sleepless nights over Mujuru."
Another analyst, Alexander Rusero, said Mugabe never anticipated the effects of the purge and was now battling to put out the fire engulfing Zanu-PF.
"Mugabe underestimated the effects of the Mujuru purge. He thought her sacking would be the beginning of the end of infighting, but it turned out to be the opposite," he said.
"To say the Zanu-PF of 2015 without Mujuru is better than that of 2013 would be mere fallacy.
"The void left by Mujuru will be difficult to fill. What will rattle Zanu-PF is that she was the stabilising element.
"Her departure means Zanu-PF will have to deal with the shift of power, which explains the reason behind the reshuffles."
Source - standard
