Mt Darwin says no to Mugabe

Analysts say the surprising outcome of Tuesday's Zanu-PF primary elections in Mt Darwin was ultimately a slap in the face of President Robert Mugabe himself and the fact that he could no longer take for granted his leadership of the party.

This sentiment followed the dramatic loss by perceived allies of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu-PF's new political commissar Savior Kasukuwere in the party's keenly-anticipated primary elections in Mt Darwin - as the seemingly omnipresent ghost of ousted VP Joice Mujuru continues to haunt the ruling party.

The Mt Darwin West seat fell vacant after Mujuru (pictured) was appointed VP two years ago - following the disputed 2013 national elections, and the country is set to hold by-elections on March 27 not only for this constituency, but also for the Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe seat which fell vacant following the appointment of Mnangagwa as VP late last year after Mugabe sacked Mujuru from the position. Godfrey Tsenengamu - a perceived key ally of Mnangagwa and one of the youth leaders who led the crusade against Mujuru, clinging on the back of quarrelsome First Lady Grace Mugabe - surprisingly lost the Mt Darwin primary elections to businessman James Seremwe.

The analysts who spoke to the Daily News yesterday said the outcome of the poll was not just a slap in the face of Mnangagwa, but also an ominous warning to Mugabe, after the Mt Darwin villagers said "no" to the candidates of Zanu-PF heavies.

They added that the stunning vanquishing of a candidate perceived to be close to Mnangagwa suggested that both Mugabe and Mnangagwa had their work cut out in their alleged quest to completely decimate Mujuru.

However, analyst Takura Zhangazha said the politburo still had the power to overturn Seremwe's victory as candidates needed the approval of the party's highest decision-making body to go forward and stand on a Zanu-PF ticket, even though the people in Mt Darwin had spoken loudly.

Another analyst and civil rights activist, Gladys Hlatshwayo, said the Mt Darwin result clearly showed that the Zanu-PF succession question was far from being resolved.

"Mnangagwa might be the second-in-command now and enjoying an upper hand but clearly the odds are against him.

"How can a candidate belonging to the faction of a deposed vice president win such an important primary election? No wonder why Mugabe did not want people to vote for their leaders at their congress in December.

"Unfortunately, due to the conflation of the State and Zanu-PF, these fights have serious ramifications for Zimbabwe as a whole. The succession battle is likely to be messy if it continues on the current trajectory.

"This might be a case of an unpopular president-in-waiting (Mnangagwa)and a popular deposed leader (Mujuru). This is a clear affirmation from the ground for Joice," Hlatshwayo told the Daily News.

Analyst Maxwell Saungweme said: "In politics, the more you victimise someone, the more you make them a hero. Heroes are created by unwanted brutality".

Another analyst said it was clear that many Zanu-PF supporters on the ground did not understand why their leaders such as Mujuru were being chased away from the party.

"This is ultimately a slap in the face of Mugabe himself. It also tells us how important it is for a party to engage in its activities and processes democratically, otherwise their actions will be rejected by the electorate," he said.