Mugabe would rather appoint wife than his war time comrades

President Robert Mugabe would rather appoint his wife Grace to take over power if he becomes incapacitated than to hand over to his war time comrades in Zanu-PF whom he does not trust, a world renowned trade unionist told Daily News.


Sunil Prasad, secretary-general of the Commonwealth Trade Union Group, told the Daily News that it was usually difficult for people of his age to trust anyone who is not from his family hence Mugabe's jittery at leaving power.

Prasad, who is also the secretary-general of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) based in Brussels, said political leaders who stayed in power for too long found it difficult to trust anyone with political power except their close family members.

The International Trade Union Confederation is the world's main international trade union organisation, bringing together the former affiliates of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), along with trade union organisations which had no global affiliation.

The ICFTU and the WCL dissolved themselves on October 31, 2006 to pave way for the creation of the ITUC.

Former Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) secretary-general Wellington Chibhebhe is ITUC's deputy secretary general.

Prasad, whose organisation plays a critical role in supporting the ZCTU said Mugabe, like other African leaders who overstay in power, is likely to find it difficult to choose a successor from among his Zanu-PF colleagues.

He said he would rather gamble and appoint his wife if at all he decides to step down.

"Mugabe is likely to appoint his wife. All the indications are that he does not trust his colleagues in Zanu-PF," said Prasad, who has followed Zimbabwean politics since 1970s.

Asked why he believes Mugabe would go for such an extreme political move, Prasad said Mugabe is not different from other leaders who have stayed for too long in power and is likely to behave like them.

"He is just like Jawaharlal Nehru who appointed his daughter Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi to take over the country after him," he said.

In addition, he said leaders who are old and who have overstayed in power always develop an affinity to keep it in the family as a way of protecting themselves. He gave the example of ailing Egyptian dictator, Hosni Mubarak who was grooming his son Gamal for eventual takeover of his party before he was toppled.

He also cited the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il whose son Jong-un recently became his second-in-command at his ruling Workers' Party's powerful Central Military Commission setting him up for succession.

The global workers activist said had nothing happened to the late Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, his son Saif al-Islam, currently on the run from National Transitional Council forces following the capture and subsequent death of his father and brother, would have eventually taken over.

Gabon's late leader Omar Bongo's son Ali was left in power together with his sister Pascaline who at one point was his father's chief of staff.

The ITUC chief says he has confidence in his former trade union comrade, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's leadership.

"He has all the advantages that Zimbabwe needs as a country.

"He is acceptable to the international community and a global face that can change the fortunes for Zimbabwe in a short time," said Prasad.