Grace Mugabe crossing Muchinguri and Mnangagwa: Will they easily forget?

Grace Mugabe is riding high at the moment and has done what many in Zimbabwe have failed. She is shaking the political landscape and some have claimed that she has well and truly destroyed Zanu-PF.

This is probably not her intention, it's likely that like any other human being, she wants to protect herself and her own when Mugabe dies. She has said so herself.

"The First Lady is enjoying her moment in politics as evidenced by the fact that everyone of importance has gone to her Mazowe Farm to pay homage to her ... (as a result) she now believes that she can go for any position," said a DailyNews source has claimed.

Because of her influence on the ageing husband, Grace is likely to have the final say on who takes over if Mujuru is ousted.

There are reports of infighting in the Mnangagwa camp, with Oppah Muchinguri, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Edna Madzongwe and Grace herself fighting for positions of Vice President.

With the exception of Madzongwe, Grace is likely to have inadvertently made powerful enemies in her two allies, Mnangagwa and Muchinguri.

Grace reportedly wants Madzongwe to take over and this is likely to not go down well with Muchinguri, who gave up her powerful position as leader of the Women's League hoping for a bigger position.

There are rumours that Grace and Muchinguri used to clash over the affections of the president but both have denied these.

Regardless of the truth in such rumours, it was a surprise to some to see the two ladies working together to rubbish Mujuru.

If Grace lets her down now, will Muchinguri easily forget?
 
As for Mnangagwa, it is clear to most that he has no love for the First Lady after going head to head with her over capital punishment.

Grace, while peaking at the World Blood Donor Day commemorations in Chinhoyi in June, suggested that rapists should be beheaded because they caused permanent trauma to their victims.

On the issue, Mnangagaw said, "I know there are a lot of people … who believe in death penalty; I don't! The difference between you and me is you have not been sentenced to death I have been sentenced to death so I know what I am talking about."

Mnangagwa was sentenced to death by the Smith regime after he was arrested for involvement in the liberation struggle.

He was spared execution after his defence attorneys successfully pleaded that, at 21, he was under-age and could not be executed.

Additionally, Grace has, during her rallies while thrashing Mujuru, admitted to influencing her husband to choose Mujuru over Mnangagwa as Vice President in 2004.

"Mnangagwa is a man of honour," she said. "In 2004 he had the backing of eight provinces to become vice president. But when the president said that position was now reserved for a woman, Mnangagwa respected the decision despite having popular support. He never left the party in protest to form his own party because he respects Mugabe."

Grace boasted that it was through her doing that Mujuru had been given the VP position in the first place.

In a cruel twist of fate for Mujuru, the constitution was amended in 2004 to allow her to trump Mnangagwa.

With this kind of history between Mnangagwa and Grace, will Mnangagwa easily forget?

In Mujuru, Grace has already made an enemy after thrashing the VP in the most most obscene terms.

If it so happens that Mujuru survives these attacks and retains some power, in or out of Zanu-PF, will she easily forget?

Grace may be riding a political wave right now but is it wise, for her sake and that of her family, to make such powerful enemies?

When Mugabe is not here to protect her, what will happen if these people, some of them in the faction she is aligned with at the moment decide to turn on her?