How Mrs Mugabe slayed ‘the crocodile’
ZIMBABWE: The battle to succeed Robert Mugabe intensified yesterday after the ageing Zimbabwean president fired a long-serving deputy many saw as his heir apparent.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had served as vice president since 2014 and who was exiled alongside Mugabe during the 1970s war against white minority rule, was fired yesterday for ‘‘disloyalty, disrespect, deceit and being unreliable’’, the country’s information ministry said in statement.
Mnangagwa, 75, often referred to by his wartime name, Ngwenya (crocodile), had long been tipped to succeed Mugabe, 93, when he died or retired. The announcement followed a weekend of public humiliation for Mnangagwa and was widely seen as a victory for Grace Mugabe, the Zimbabwean first lady and a potential rival for the succession.
Grace Mugabe publicly mocked Mnangagwa when he was in the audience at a rally on Saturday. The following day, she told thousands of Apostolic Church members that Mnangagwa had tried to overthrow her husband from independence onwards.
‘‘In 1980 this person called Mnangagwa wanted to stage a coup. He wanted to wrestle power from the president. He was conspiring with whites. That man is a ravisher,’’ she said.
The comments provoked outrage from supporters of Mnangagwa, a veteran of the war against white minority rule.
He was tortured in detention in Rhodesia, avoiding the death penalty only because the judge believed he was under 21 when he was sentenced, and spent 10 years in prison. After his release, he qualified as a lawyer after studying at the University of Zambia and the University of London. After Zimbabwean independence in 1980, he acted as Mugabe’s hatchet man against internal opposition, and has been accused of orchestrating crackdowns which left thousands dead.
Grace Mugabe said at the weekend she wanted to be a vicepresident and expects to be appointed to the post at the ruling Zanu-PF party’s congress next month.
Mnangagwa enjoys the backing of senior members of the Zimbabwe National Army, while the police support the Mugabe clan. Robert Mugabe previously announced that he might retire senior military leaders.
Evan Tigere, 64, a veteran of the war against white rule in Rhodesia and now a street vendor in Harare’s streets, said: ‘‘This time Mugabe has pressed the wrong button. We now need to gather everyone in Zimbabwe to fight in the same corner to remove these idiots. How can we be run by husband and wife? Tell me which country has a husband and wife being president and vice at the same time?’’
A civil servant working as a clerk within one of Harare’s main government buildings said she was shocked at the news.
Chinopiwa Murefu, 36, said Mnangagwa’s departure from Zanu-PF presented an opportunity for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change to create an alliance with him at next year’s elections. ‘‘We could form a formidable party to save this country,’’ she said.