Mnangagwa rules out Chiwenga from Mugabe succession race

President Robert Mugabe's succession race has taken a dramatic twist following VP Emmerson Mnangagwa's recent insinuation Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander General Constantine Chiwenga and other senior military commanders are "juniors" to pose any serious threat to his presidential ambitions.

Zanu-PF officials and military officers have been saying Chiwenga harbours presidential ambitions and could be a dark horse in the cutthroat race to succeed Mugabe.

"The current army commanders were very young at the time, and I can guarantee you that there is nobody in the army who is of our generation. Those who are heading the military now were junior officers during the struggle because all their commanders have either died or retired," Mnangagwa said.

Senior military commanders who also said Chiwenga was a junior to Mnangagwa in the liberation struggle and the present establishment hierarchy.

However they said Chiwenga remains a factor in the succession matrix and outcome even if he was junior to the VP.