Mugabe camp beware, 'Spill Blood' Mujuru won't go down without a fight

First Lady Grace Mugabe's remarks that 90-year-old President Robert Mugabe was "fed up with this faction leader" popularly believed to be Joice Mujuru have opened a can of worms.

Grace — who is believed to be linked to the Mnangagwa camp — last week launched a vitriolic attack on Mujuru, describing her as a "gossiper, corrupt and divisive." She said she had already told Mugabe to "baby-dump" her, failure of which she would take it upon herself to do it.

There are reports that Mugabe apparently supports his wife Grace's public attacks on Vice President Joice Mujuru,especially following his silence on the issue.

The State-run Bulawayo-based Chronicle, through an unnamed contributor believed to be minister Jonathan Moyo who is thought to be one of the brains behind Grace, confirmed that the First Lady was acting on behalf of Mugabe in her assaults on Joice Mujuru.

This attack has had political analysts such as Pedzisai Ruhanya, suggest that Mujuru angered the first family by trying to take power from Mugabe.

The plot to get rid of Mujuru is allegedly thickening but Mujuru loyalists said they would block efforts to oust her.

Zanu PF insiders told The Standard that efforts to implement Grace's proposal to amend the party's constitution were underway, so as to give Mugabe powers to deal with Mujuru and those believed to be fighting in her corner.

"The legal team, headed by Mnangagwa, would soon draft amendments to the party's constitution. Mugabe will be given the powers to hand-pick his deputies. Pressure will then be mounted on him to dump Mujuru on allegations that she was dividing the party," a senior Zanu PF official said.

If the plan succeeds, Mujuru would be dumped together with some politburo members perceived to be loyal to her. Mugabe, after his annual leave in January, would then reshuffle Cabinet and further purge Mujuru loyalists.

The official said if the plot succeeded, Mujuru would be replaced by Oppah Muchinguri who stepped down as Women's League boss to make way for Grace. Defence minister, Sydney Sekeramayi, who is largely on the quieter side, was also being considered as another alternative.

But officials linked to Mujuru said they would fight back through the politburo, central committee and provincial structures.

Mujuru is unlikely to go down without a fight and her rivals would be wise to take note.

She is, after all, called Teurai Ropa (spill blood) after apparently downing a helicopter with a machine gun after refusing to flee in the liberation struggle.

"Most of these people who are plotting against Mujuru do not have structures on the ground unlike us. We will fight in the politburo to stop the attempt to introduce undemocratic means to prop up one faction," said a Mujuru ally.

"Come congress, if the elections are free and fair we are assured of sweeping at least eight provinces because we have the numbers."

The Mujuru loyalist also said any constitutional amendments would only be passed at congress, meaning that they would only apply after December.

"We are not against Amai (Grace Mugabe) as such. We have come to realise that she is a creation of the Mnangagwa camp and she is willing to work along with it because it also strengthens her position," said a female member of the party's powerful decision making committee who hails from Mashonaland Central province.

"We will do all that we can to make sure that our rivals in the Mnangagwa faction do not gain ground through her. We have decided to be cautious with whatever she does," she said.

She said they had started spreading the word among Mujuru loyalists in the women's and youths leagues throughout the country to boycott events called in the name of Grace, warning them that the gatherings were being used by the rival camp to gain popularity ahead of the congress.

They were already making inroads because their preferred candidates won most of the influential positions in the respective leagues' elections that took place recently, added the source.

Contrary to initial claims, she said, Grace was not unanimously endorsed to lead the Women's League at separate events attended by thousands of youths and women at the Amai Grace Mugabe Children's Home in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central.

"In fact, most women who went to Mazowe were ambushed. While some supported Amai's elevation, others remained passive as they suspected the Mnangagwa faction was up to some dirty tricks. However, all our members now know the truth and that camp is in for a shock," she said.

Grace stole the thunder from Mujuru when the Women's League conference kicked off in Harare last week, but the central committee member said the thunderous applause the First Lady received from the auditorium was a rehearsed act by the Mnangagwa faction.

She acknowledged that Grace was guaranteed to get the Women's League top post, even though the Mujuru camp had considered clandestinely querying her suitability but "we don't want to be seen as though we are fighting our president (Mugabe)".

"Amai will not unite the factions because she is seen to be among our rivals. Instead, her elevation has forced us to look for new weapons to fight the Mnangagwa faction," she said.

New Zanu (PF) rules stipulate that in order to hold a national position one must have served in the party for an uninterrupted 15 years and have held a position in provincial structures. But Grace does not meet these requirements.