Grace Mugabe positions herself for top post

IT is becoming increasingly clear that President Robert Mugabe's wife, Grace, is very influential behind the scenes and may as well be positioning herself to take over from her husband whenever he finally goes given her growing power in her family, Zanu-PF and government circles, ruling party insiders say.

Senior Zanu-PF officials say Mugabe's attack on his two appointed vice-presidents Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko at the party's Youth League assembly meeting last weekend over factionalism and succession, and Grace's boastful disclosures she controls and set the agenda for them, show a plot could be underway to ensure a dynastic successor takes over.

Mugabe, battling old age, ill-health and frailty, previously indicated before the expulsion of former vice-president Joice Mujuru that neither Mnangagwa nor her would eventually succeed him. The emergence of Grace and the power and influence she wields has changed succession dynamics. Her public remarks progressively suggest she wants to succeed her husband.

Mugabe also showed that he had no control over Grace when she forced him to call for a re-run of the central committee elections for Mashonaland East province. This was after the First Lady vehemently rejected the list of members that was presented to congress by former chairperson Simon Khaya Moyo.

The congress also showed that Grace is in charge in the background after Mugabe bowed down to her demands ahead of the event and to her public ultimatum to boot out Mujuru.

Events this week further confirmed that Grace has growing authority at three critical levels - at home, Zanu-PF party and in government.

Grace shocked the nation when she revealed on Wednesday at a ground-breaking ceremony in Kadoma that the two vice-presidents report to her as she dictates issues and sets the agenda.