Mugabe speaks on retirement

Senior Zanu-PF leaders angling to succeed President Mugabe risk expulsion if they continue fanning factionalism in the party at the expense of delivering to the electorate, the President has said.

In an in interview to mark his 90th birthday, President Mugabe said no individual was bigger than the party and his retirement was not yet due.

He said it was "terrible even to have your name mentioned as leader of a faction. It is shameful".

The President's remarks come in the wake of reports of severe jockeying among factions in Zanu-PF purportedly led by Vice President Joice Mujuru and Secretary for Legal Affairs Emmerson Mnangagwa to succeed him.

Mujuru and Mnangagwa deny leading factions.

President Mugabe said there was no need to talk about succession now before he retired. He said his retirement was not due and the moment people started to raise such issues that would divide the party. President Mugabe said it was not his desire to leave Zanu-PF disintegrated.

"But why should it (succession) be discussed when it is not due? Is it due? The leadership still exists that runs the country. In other words I am still there. The people can discuss it if they want, but the moment they start discussing it they go into factions and then you find the party dividing itself and so why discuss it when it is not due? When the day comes and I retire, yes, sure, the day will come, but I do not want to leave my party in tatters. I want to leave it intact," he said.