'Factionalism an attempt to dethrone Mugabe,' says his nephew

Zanu-PF politburo member Patrick Zhuwao says the current ugly internecine fights between two factions in the ruling party ahead of the crucial December congress  were aimed at toppling President Robert Mugabe.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday at the Bulawayo Press Club, Zhuwao admitted that there was factionalism in the party although both factions have denied this.

"Factionalism within Zanu-PF is really driven by the succession issue," said Zhuwao, who is also Mugabe's nephew.

"It is about positioning specific candidates to take over from President Robert Mugabe and that is what drives factions. What is now happening is people are now running to the person that they believe should succeed president Mugabe. And they say no, no shef tinemi thereby creating an alternative sector of power."

Zhuwao, who in recent weeks has been heavily involved in the Zanu-PF succession dogfights, said while factionalism was against democracy, it cannot be ignored.

"Admitting that there is factionalism in Zanu-PF is like someone going to a New Start centre and getting help. These days nobody dies of Aids, it does not kill, what kills people is ignorance and fear," said Zhuwao.

Zhuwao, who recently published a controversial opinion piece in the State media claiming that Mugabe faced a palace coup in Zanu-PF, said his party was now divided into groupings.

"What is now happening is that we are now in different groupings.

"We are now attempting to have multiple centres of power and some of those centres I have described them as paper tigers because they have no real power and real mandate."

He said the systematic solution to the rot in Zanu-PF was the "institutionalisation of a singular source of power within Zanu-PF."

Mugabe's nephew, who is one of the senior Zanu-PF officials on tour with Grace Mugabe, said it was factionalism that led to Zanu-PF in 2005 being reduced from a "constitutional majority to a parliamentary minority."

Zhuwao however said talking about succession at this point in time was a misplaced idea as Mugabe was only a year into his term.

"Bringing forward such a discussion at this point in time is undemocratic because Mugabe was not elected to be succeeded immediately," he said.