First Lady Grace Mugabe has brought in a new twist to the country’s vice-presidency and the succession battle. The doors are wide open. One does not necessarily have to be one of the two second secretaries or vice-presidents of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front to be the country’s vice-president. Grace’s revelation, if true means, means that the race for vice-presidency is wide open. President Robert Mugabe can appoint anyone. Up to now the battle has been to rise to the vice-presidency of the party as this has all along resulted in an automatic elevation to State vice-presidency. But Grace’s statement, made at a rally in Gwanda, could also mean that even Vice-President Joice Mujuru, one of the main contenders to succeed Mugabe and currently the only State vice-president who constitutionally will take over from Mugabe should anything happen , might not be reappointed State Vice-president. There has been wide speculation that Grace was brought into politics to thwart the ambitions of Mujuru to succeed Mugabe. Mujuru reportedly leads one of the factions that pits her against a faction allegedly led by Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mujuru has denied that she leads a faction claiming she belongs to Mugabe’s faction. “This issue of factionalism is corruption. If you buy someone to support you, that’s corruption. What’s said in our Constitution is that the President makes the appointments. The President is the one who appoints these people. If you go around saying you are the one, and you are unstoppable, you are working against yourself. You are jeopardising your chances. Maybe you had chances because you are an intelligent person, but you are jeopardising your chances by your actions,” Grace said.
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