'Grace Mugabe for Vice President'

THE Zanu-PF youth league has thrown its weight behind First Lady Grace Mugabe's bid to succeed fired Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was relieved of his government duties yesterday by President Robert Mugabe.

Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Zanu-PF youth league secretary Kudzanai Chipanga said they had started lobbying other party structures to dump Mnangagwa and replace him with Grace.

"The Zanu-PF youth league is fully behind the secretary for women's affairs, Dr Amai Grace Mugabe, in calling for the urgent removal of Cde Mnangagwa from the position of Vice-President both in the party and government. That position is a straitjacket and must be handed back to the women's league," Chipanga said earlier in the day before Mnangagwa was fired.

He claimed that Grace had already proved to be nationally acceptable as the ruling party prepares for the 2018 general elections.
"It has ignited us to take interest and position in the selection of a woman Vice-President candidate. It has to be one who is acceptable and with unquestionable loyalty to the party and its principal, the President, Cde RG Mugabe, and more importantly, one without ambitions to work against the President. The only person possessing such qualities is the leader of the women's league, none other than Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Amai Dr Grace Mugabe," he said.

Chipanga apologised to the First Family for the public humiliation and booing they endured in Bulawayo on Saturday at the hands of Mnangagwa's suspected allies.

"We apologise to the President for the unruly behaviour by some Zanu-PF supporters and we are going to make sure that they are dealt with effectively for embarrassing our President," he said.

"We are in charge of those interface rallies and when we host them our intention is not to embarrass the President."
The Press conference was held before Mugabe fired Mnangagwa from his government position.