Zimbabwe’s military was likely to push for Emmerson Mnangagwa to succeed President Robert Mugabe if he suddenly died in office or became incapacitated because they did not trust Joice Mujuru, Tanzania’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Adadi Rajabu told United States embassy officials way back in 2009.
At the time Joice Mujuru and John Nkomo were the country’s two Vice-Presidents while Mnangagwa was Minister of Defence having risen from the mediocre post of Minister of Rural Housing.
Rajabu painted what a US embassy official said was “one of the most pessimistic views of Zimbabwe” the official had ever heard from African diplomats in Harare.
The African ambassador said that the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front was still in revolutionary mode, and had completely failed at governing the country.
“Robert Mugabe at one time appeared to be looking at Joice Mujuru as a possible successor, but hardliners within the party labeled her and her husband as too close to the U.S. and UK and he switched his attention to Emmerson Mnangagwa,” the United States embassy said in a cable released by Wikileaks.
“It isn’t clear, though, if this means he sees Mnangagwa as a successor, or if this is just another example of his continuing manipulation of his party. Should he suddenly die or be incapacitated, however, there will be chaos.
“Rajabu believes that those who think the military’s professionalism will keep it from intervening in politics are wrong. He thinks that the military would, in such a case, put Mnangagwa forward as leader because the military chiefs and other hardliners don’t trust Mujuru.”
Mujuru was kicked out of the party five years later with Mnangagwa being elevated to Vice-President.
ZANU-PF had to amend its constitution to allow Mugabe to appoint his deputies. Previously they were elected by the party but Mugabe could not entertain that risk because of the factionalism that had rocked the party with allegations that Mujuru was planning to topple him.
Mnangagwa has been under attack ever since he was appointed allegedly by a group led by Mugabe’s wife Grace. But the warring parties seem to be patching up things as the country prepares for the 2018 elections which are now months away.
Below are the Wikileaks cables that mention Mnangagwa’s name.
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