Emmerson Mnangagwa decided not to oppose Joice Mujuru as Vice-President after he was demoted by Mugabe at the 2004 party congress because he wanted her to inherit the many crises that the country was facing in the expectation that she would not prove up to the task, Lovemore Madhuku, the leader of National Constitutional Assembly, which is now an opposition party, said 10 years ago.
Mnangagwa had beaten Mujuru at the provincial elections level for the post of party vice-president but this had been reversed by President Robert Mugabe according to Monica Chinamasa, wife of current Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa.
Madhuku told United States embassy officials that the crackdown on Mnangagwa and his faction which started shortly after the congress was continuing.
Mnangagwa was, however, not out of the succession game but was instead playing for time.
Madhuku said one of Mnangagwa’s people had confided to him that Mnangagwa had decided not to oppose Joice Mujuru as Mugabe’s successor but still wanted the succession to happen as soon as possible and no later than 2008.
Madhuku said Mnangagwa’s plan was to let Mujuru inherit the many crises bedeviling the country in the expectation that she would not prove up to the task.
Mnangagwa could then use the nation’s economic distress to challenge and supplant her at the 2009 Party Congress in the run-up to the 2010 elections.
Madhuku added that he believed Mnangagwa would win an open competition with Mujuru for the party’s presidential nomination whenever it occurred.
Below are the Wikileaks cables that mention Mnangagwa’s name.
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