News / National
Sekeramayi in Mugabe succession race?
27 Nov 2015 at 07:43hrs | Views
DEFENCE minister Sydney Sekeramayi is reportedly back in President Robert Mugabe's succession race as the group coalesced around First Lady Grace hunts for a heavyweight candidate to challenge Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, widely seen as the leading contender.
Informed Zanu-PF insiders say Grace and her allies, branded as the Generation 40 (G40) group, are pulling out all the stops to block Mnangagwa and have roped in Sekeramayi, a big-hitter with liberation war credentials, experience in government and links to the state security apparatus, critical in the matrix of power.
In private briefings this week, senior Zanu-PF officials said Sekeremayi has bounced back after a realisation by G40 Grace lacks history, experience and gravitas necessary to win the cutthroat Zanu-PF power struggle.
"So many shifts and changes - re-alignments - have happened since the (Zanu-PF) congress in December 2014," a senior Zanu-PF official said. "Mnangagwa has so far failed to consolidate for the whole year and this has allowed the G40 fronted by the First Lady to steal a march on him. But the problem is that the G40 has no clear leader. These are personality-based factions, not ideological or policy-based groups, and you need a rallying point which Grace is, but not a leader.
"After a hard search, Sekeramayi has emerged as the preferred candidate."
Sekeramayi, a staunch ally of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru who was ruthlessly expelled from Zanu-PF early this year with many of her supporters in an unprecedented party purge, is reportedly being rehabilitated for his new role.
Sekeramayi survived the purges by the skin of his teeth, but Grace's backers says he remains weak and vulnerable, thus would readily accept a new lease of life in an elevated role, although he traditionally prefers to operate in the shadows.
Sekeramayi, looking comfortable and content, appeared alongside Grace at a rally in Murehwa in his home province of Mashonaland East last Saturday, something new in the post-congress period. Mugabe and Grace have said the person who might come in may not be one many people are thinking of.
Another senior Zanu-PF official said in coming up with Sekeramayi as the new possible candidate to take over from Mugabe, the G40, showing versatility and determination to engage Mnangagwa, considered leadership qualities as well as strengths and weaknesses of different aspirants.
"The First Lady is the boss of the Women's League and not the substantive leader of the G40. What has been happening is that she has only been a rallying point and in the process a stalking horse, but not the real candidate. She will of course be given a role in leadership in the post-Mugabe era if her group wins," the official said. "Sekeremayi is their succession candidate."
Informed Zanu-PF insiders say Grace and her allies, branded as the Generation 40 (G40) group, are pulling out all the stops to block Mnangagwa and have roped in Sekeramayi, a big-hitter with liberation war credentials, experience in government and links to the state security apparatus, critical in the matrix of power.
In private briefings this week, senior Zanu-PF officials said Sekeremayi has bounced back after a realisation by G40 Grace lacks history, experience and gravitas necessary to win the cutthroat Zanu-PF power struggle.
"So many shifts and changes - re-alignments - have happened since the (Zanu-PF) congress in December 2014," a senior Zanu-PF official said. "Mnangagwa has so far failed to consolidate for the whole year and this has allowed the G40 fronted by the First Lady to steal a march on him. But the problem is that the G40 has no clear leader. These are personality-based factions, not ideological or policy-based groups, and you need a rallying point which Grace is, but not a leader.
"After a hard search, Sekeramayi has emerged as the preferred candidate."
Sekeramayi, a staunch ally of former Vice-President Joice Mujuru who was ruthlessly expelled from Zanu-PF early this year with many of her supporters in an unprecedented party purge, is reportedly being rehabilitated for his new role.
Sekeramayi survived the purges by the skin of his teeth, but Grace's backers says he remains weak and vulnerable, thus would readily accept a new lease of life in an elevated role, although he traditionally prefers to operate in the shadows.
Sekeramayi, looking comfortable and content, appeared alongside Grace at a rally in Murehwa in his home province of Mashonaland East last Saturday, something new in the post-congress period. Mugabe and Grace have said the person who might come in may not be one many people are thinking of.
Another senior Zanu-PF official said in coming up with Sekeramayi as the new possible candidate to take over from Mugabe, the G40, showing versatility and determination to engage Mnangagwa, considered leadership qualities as well as strengths and weaknesses of different aspirants.
"The First Lady is the boss of the Women's League and not the substantive leader of the G40. What has been happening is that she has only been a rallying point and in the process a stalking horse, but not the real candidate. She will of course be given a role in leadership in the post-Mugabe era if her group wins," the official said. "Sekeremayi is their succession candidate."
Source - the independent
