'Grace to succeed Robert Mugabe as president': Video

Speculation is building that the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is preparing for his wife to take power.

Grace Mugabe, once the president's secretary and 40 years his junior, has been nominated to a senior position in the ruling ZANU-PF party.



Emmerson Mnangagwa - dubbed "Ngwena" or "the crocodile" - may emerge from this week's Zanu-PF congress as Robert Mugabe's vice president and heir apparent.

According to Nehanda Radio, Robert Mugabe wants to die in office and even rule from beyond the grave, and, as he does not feature anywhere in those plans Mnangagwa is likely to be disappointed – again.

Mnangagwa had done all that was constitutionally required of him to get the vice-presidential nomination, but firstly Mugabe, from the blue, decided there was need to elevate a woman.

And when he attempted a come back four years later by mobilising the DCCs to support him, he was again disappointed by their disbanding, thus tilting the tide in Mujuru's favour and leading to the belief that Mujuru was now Mugabe's favourite.

Nehanda Radio reports that now it has become abundantly clear that she was only being used to put the breaks on Mnangagwa's rise, and that she should never have aspired to anything bigger – not until after Mugabe's death.

But now before he dies, Mugabe is reportedly trying to set up his wife for possible succession, or at least to be in a powerful enough position to have a say in the succession, which confirms that Mnangagwa is definitely not on Mugabe's plans.

Just as he has surprised all by virtually sacking some top leaders as if they were mere foot soldiers, now that he has consolidated the power to appoint not just the vice presidents but also the politburo, there is no reason why he cannot surprise the Mnangagwa camp.