'Mugabe fails to douse flames'

President Robert Mugabe is failing to douse "succession flames" that are currently consuming his Zanu-PF party, as his meetings to bring order around the country have thus far failed to heal the rifts.

Last Friday, Mugabe was in Mashonaland Central, where he confirmed that the meeting he had with the provincial leadership failed to come up with a definitive conclusion.

Addressing scores of his supporters that waited all day at Chipadze Stadium in Bindura, Mugabe asked his supporters to stop squabbling.

He opened the address by apologising to his supporters who had braved the chilly weather for the better part of the day.

Mugabe told his supporters that he would return to the province again after failing to find peace between squabbling rivals.

"Tanga takanangana nenyaya dzebishi randakanga ndanzwa riri kuitika kuno, zvino ratitorera nguva yakati wande. Hatina kupedzisa asi ndazoisa nyaya dzacho mumaoko ecommittee vachazoongorora vozondipira kuti nyaya dzacho vaedza here kuti vanhu vanzwanane (We came here focused on the squabbles that have been bedevilling this province and that took much of our time. We did not come to a conclusion but I have assigned a committee to deal with the matter, which will in turn advise me on how far they would have gone in trying to resolve the issue)," Mugabe said.

The Mashonaland Central squabbles are seen in the larger picture of factionalism, where Zanu-PF groups the Generation 40 (G40) and Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa's Team Lacoste are angling to take over from the nonagenarian leader.

"Ndezvekwamudzidzisi vaWimbo uko kwakamborira-PFuti, saka hatidi kunzwa kuti vanhu vakazvipira kuti vaite misangano yezve church yekwaMwari vari kupfuviswa nesu, dzimwe nguva tichida kuti tiwane support kwavari. Kana vachitipa support ngavatipe pachavo nemoyo yavo kwete nekumanikidzwa, kwete nekuridzirwa-PFuti hatidi, handicho chimurenga chatakarwira… (The issue pertains to squabbles that transpired involving church leader Wimbo. We do not want to hear people who have dedicated their life to God being harassed. At times we will be seeking support from them. If they are to support us, they should do that whole heartedly, they must not be forced through the use of guns, that is not what we fought for)," he said on Friday, while addressing the gathering.

Wimbo, also known as Madzibaba Majinesta, is pivotal in Zanu-PF's fractious succession politics as he is said to have predicted in 1957 that Mugabe would lead the country in 1980. His multitude of avid followers also believes that their leader knows Mugabe's successor, although he has not yet definitely pronounced on this.

The church is however, wrecked by debilitating fights, as his family is now following him from the safety of their homes as they are afraid of the sect's violent congregants whom they accuse of having kidnapped their "father".

As the Zanu-PF continues being devoured by factional wars, the Wimbo case has sucked in several politicians and the military, with gun shots having been fired at his shrine.

Wimbo is accused of supporting the G40 faction, an aspect that reportedly incensed Team Lacoste.

However, in his address on Friday, Mugabe said people must not be forced to support anyone, but must back whoever they want freely.

This also comes after he recently visited Masvingo province, where he was also expected to deal with factional fights in the area.

Mugabe reportedly left in a hurry without conclusively resolving the issues in the area, which is largely seen as Mnangagwa's bedrock.

Previously, analysts said the centre can no longer hold anymore in Zanu-PF. They said Mugabe is now out of control of the party, as he reaches his political sunset.