Mugabe evades Zanu-PF congress

President Robert Mugabe has successfully evaded a potentially divisive Zanu PF extraordinary congress after the consultations proved that the party was deeply split over the issue as self-interest took centre-stage.

It emerged some senior party officials were not thinking about endorsing Mugabe for a new five-year term but were more interested in consolidating their power base in the succession race to succeed him.

High level sources said VP Joice Mujuru had done her groundwork to make sure the Politburo agreed to an extraordinary congress, but other Zanu-PF bigwigs including Mugabe himself dismissed the idea arguing there was no justifiable reason for the early congress.