Mugabe calls for futile faction inquiry to appease Mujuru whilst he await to deliver coup de grace!

Reports of the Zanu PF politburo meeting last week shows that some of the docile members have for the first voiced their displeasure at the way VP Joice Mujuru was been ill-treated. Sadly, it seems it is all too little too late!   

"Gumbo took no prisoners and accused Mnangagwa of plotting to denigrate Vice President Joice Mujuru. He accused the Mnangagwa faction of plotting another coup and when an angry Mnangagwa tried to stand up and defend himself, he was told by Mugabe to sit down," said on one of the high level sources.

The politburo reportedly rejected Oppah Muchinguri's report of Grace Mugabe's rallies which the latter had used as her platform to denigrate VP Mujuru. The report was reportedly silent on the accusations against Mujuru and the demands for her to resign. As a way forward Mugabe proposed setting up a commission of inquiry to investigate the existence of the factions within the party.

What some people fail to appreciate here is that the events of the last two months have forced the Mnangagwa faction, at least, to come out in the open and declare its intention – to be the dominant faction and be the one to choice who replaces Mugabe. The gene is out of the bottle and there is no putting it back now.

The Mnangagwa faction has already had a head start in campaigning for dominance by doing so under the cover that it was Grace Mugabe thanking party members for electing her to lead the party's women's league. The Mujuru faction was stopped having its own campaign rallies or at least replying the scathing attack against its candidate, Mai Mujuru, because Mugabe had banned all electioneering and speaking to the press.

The second point most people have failed to appreciate is that factional fighting in Zanu PF are not just about political power and dominance but even more significantly about economic survival. The regime has been struggling to pay the bloated civil servant wages let alone anything else. The need to reduce the size of government right across the board is clear for all to see and what better way of doing so that dumping members of the losing faction.

All Zanu PF party members are aware of the depths of economic despair and misery likes of the late Nathan Shamuyarira had sunk after he was cast out from the privileged ruling elite circle. They know that is the fate that awaits most of the members of the losing faction. No wonder even the most, up to now docile, politburo members like Gumbo were speaking out in support of their factional leader and "taking no prisoners". There is simple too much at stake not to speak – the outcome will decide who continues to eat well and who starves!

After all the years of saying and doing nothing about Mugabe's abuse of power and murderous tyrannical rule it is too late for anyone to assert themselves now. In this case, it is futile because the damage against Mai Mujuru has already been done; she is mortally wounded politically and Mugabe is waiting for the opportune moment, the congress, to deliver the coup de grace.

Just before the politburo meeting Mugabe publicly told the party supporters, conveniently bussed in by the Mnangagwa faction, vote Mai Mujuru out at the up-coming congress.

Establishing a commission of inquiry in the factionalism in Zanu PF is a meaningless gesture (there are factions whether they are officially acknowledged is a matter of indifference) designed to appease (makes Mujuru supporters feel they will have another chance to speak out, to what end and purposes even they have no idea) and, most important of all, confuse the Mujuru factions.

She is not going to rally her followers for fear of being accused of leading a faction. Meanwhile the Mnangagwa faction will intensify their activities and even infiltrate the Mujuru faction under the guise of investigating factionalism in preparation for the elective congress!

Throughout the GNU Mugabe kept Tsvangirai guessing what the tyrant was up to whilst giving all the slack to make him believe MDC will win the July 2013 elections. Mugabe delivered his coup de grace on Tsvangirai on election-day and the MDC leader did not see it coming. Mugabe has a similar a similar surprise for Mai Mujuru, she too will not know what hit her!