Mugabe or Mnangagwa; the ground is ripe for either to create their own dynasty

Zimbabwean politics is very peculiar in that there is a veneer of democracy but everyone knows that it's a facade but there is no evidence to call out the elephant in the room.

Zimbabwe is a nation of educated people, which can be a very powerful weapon but it is a nation that is facing a very BIG possibility of being ruled by a family dynasty.

It looks like there could either be a Mugabe or Mnangagwa dynasty in the making but that's neither here nor there. What matters and quite heart breaking is that the ground has been set and is ripe for anyone at the right place and the right time to just come set up their own dynasty.

At the end of 2014 Zimbabweans woke to the fact that the first lady, Grace Mugabe had been running the show for a while and she could be habouring a desire to be the country's next president.

Indeed if Grace did take over she would have enough time to prepare the ground for her children to take over from her and it will continue as such for the foreseeable future generations of their family.

If on the other hand, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa takes over as president, he will also have enough time to prepare for his family to create their own dynasty as leaders of Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa's eldest son, Emmerson Junior, has reportedly been tipped to take over his father's Chirumanzu-Zibagwe parliamentary seat.

The new constitution provides that if an MP is appointed Vice President, they cease to become legislators.

Under normal circumstances Zanu (PF) would conduct primary elections to choose the new candidate but apparently Mnangagwa Snr, who is currently the Acting President, has ordered the provincial structures to by-pass the process and field his son as the party's candidate.

In the Midlands province, the VP's eldest son is executive as the youth league's Kwekwe representative.

"There is no one who is canvassing for support to become the Zanu (PF) candidate for Chirumanzu-Zibagwe because Mudhara (oldman) Mnangagwa has said his eldest son should succeed him. Nobody has had the courage to oppose that," said an inside source.

Another source also indicated that Mnangagwa had always indicated that he would want his close family member to take over in the constituency.

"Initially Mnangagwa had wanted his wife, Auxilia, to take over the post but that was complicated by the fact that she is already senator for the Kwekwe-Chirumanzu constituency," said the source.

Cornelius Mupereri, the Zanu (PF) Midlands provincial secretary for information and publicity, said a decision on who would stand in the by-election, would be made on Saturday when the provincial coordinating committee sits.

Pressed on the chances of Mnangagwa Jnr being selected, he insisted that if "people want him, then it shall be."

All this goes to show that whichever way the leadership of the country goes, Zimbabwe is in danger of having a single family in power for generations.

President Mugabe was given more powers at the Zanu (PF) Congress and whoever takes over from him will inherit those powers. Who is to say they won't use them to promote all their family members to positions of power.

Family members going for the presidency after a relative has been there is nothing new. In America George. W. Bush became president after his father had been there some years before.

However, the situation in Zimbabwe is dire because it's fair to say that the constitution can be changed willy-nilly to suit whatever those in power want at that moment.

This is highly unlikely in a country like the US because the constitution is almost sacred and if this was the case in Zimbabwe, things may no appear so bleak.

There appears to be a general acceptance amongst most but not all Zimbabweans that 'it's better the devil you know.'

What would stop anyone with the power and position of the Zimbabwean president from promoting their own and saying 'to hell with everyone else?'