Amid renewed intense factional fights in Zanu PF, Vice-President Emmerson
Mnangagwa is reportedly moving to consolidate his power base by piling pressure
for security sector changes in addition to sustained push for a cabinet
reshuffle.
Sources said
security service chiefs, particularly Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO)
Director General Happyton Bonyongwe, Police Commissioner-General Augustine
Chihuri, Air Marshal Perence Shiri and Prisons Commissioner-General Retired
Major-General Paradzai Zimondi, are facing purging as Vice-President Emmerson
Mnangagwa and his allies push for their removal.The most vulnerable of them all
appears to be Chihuri and Bonyongwe.
In the
clearest sign last November security chiefs could be removed over the succession
battle, First Lady Grace Mugabe singled out Bonyongwe as someone linked to
ousted vice-president Joice Mujuru in an address to small and medium
enterprises and cross-border traders at her Mazowe farm.Grace said Mugabe one
day had a meeting with Bonyongwe in the morning where he told him that she was
not feeling well as she had an ear infection. Grace said Bonyongwe then called
in the afternoon to ask her how she was feeling, while in the company of Mujuru
without telling her, suggesting he betrayed his boss and herself because of
succession wars.
Sources
said Chihuri was also one of the main targets because of his close relations
with Mujuru. They said although Zimondi and Shiri are also linked to Mujuru
they may survive purges not because they are wanted but as a result of concerns
of the instability mass their removals might unleash.Those suggested as
Bonyongwe’s possible replacements include presidential guard boss,
Brigadier-General Nhamo Sanyatwa, and current CIO deputy Aaron Nhepera, who is
linked to Mnangagwa.
Possible
alternatives to Chihuri are understood to be deputy commissioners-general Levy
Sibanda and Innocent Matibiri.“Chihuri and other police officers’ jobs have
been on the line since Mujuru’s demise,” said a senior government official.“There
is a strong push for him (Chihuri) to be relieved of his duties not only
because he is sympathetic to Mujuru, but also because the system believes he
was updating the former Vice-President on progress made during investigations
into her alleged corruption.“Bonyongwe is also a Mujuru person and owes his
position to his good relations with the general (the late Solomon Mujuru who
was husband to the former vice -president).”
WikiLeaks
diplomatic cables a few years ago linked Bonyongwe to Mujuru.The sources said
changes in the security sector would not be as brutal as the purges in Zanu PF
ahead of the congress as unwanted service chiefs were likely to be pushed out
through the non-renewal of their contracts.They said although police deputy
commissioner-general Godwin Matanga was the most senior at his level he was
unlikely to get the post if Chihuri is pushed out as Mnangagwa reportedly
prefers Sibanda. Matanga is also said to be loyal to Mujuru.“By virture of
being related to the president, Matibiri is also in the reckoning although it
seems Sibanda to be a firmer favourite.”
Meanwhile,
the Mnangagwa camp also wants Information minister Jonathan Moyo moved from the
ministry because of perceived hostility to the vice-president, while Higher
Education minister Oppah Muchinguri and Energy minister Samuel Undenge could be
moved from their portfolios ostensibly for being incompetent to lead other
ministries.Education minister Lazarus Dokora and Sports minister Andrew Langa,
believed to be aligned to Mujuru, are also in the firing line.
Mujuru
lost her position during the divisive Zanu PF congress in December last year
before being fired from government a few days later. She was removed alongside
several ministers and party heavyweights, among them Presidential Affairs
minister Didymus Mutasa, Energy minister Dzikamai Mavhaire, Labour minister
Nicholas Goche and Information Technology minister Webster Shamu, while several
provincial officials lost their positions in the biggest purge in the history
of Zanu PF. She was also later expelled from Zanu PF.
Long time
Mnangagwa ally Patrick Chinamasa, who was last month attacked in public by
Mugabe for announcing a freeze in civil servants bonuses, could also be moved
from the Finance portfolio.The Mnangagwa camp is, however, said to be pushing
for the re-appointment of former Indigenisation minister Francis Nhema, who
lost his position in the December cabinet reshuffle because of his links to the
Mujuru faction.
Mnangagwa
has been courting Nhema, who like him also hails from the Midlands province,
for some time and even bestowed him with honorary life membership of the
Midlands Agricultural Show late last year.Mnangagwa, who by virtue of being
vice-president meets Mugabe on a regular basis, has been pushing for a reshuffle
for a long time but his boss balked on the idea after being convinced he would
appear a disorganised leader if he frequently changed his cabinet.
Mugabe
reshuffled his cabinet in December and was expected to make further changes
soon after coming from his annual holiday in the Far East in January.Mnangagwa’s
push comes at a time the rift between him and party officials with whom he
joined hands to shipwreck Mujuru’s presidential ambitions continues to widen
following his rival’s ouster.Senior Zanu PF officials said to be working
against Mnangagwa, include political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, Moyo and
Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao, among others. They reportedly believe Mnangagwa
has not grown out of being a factional leader and is indecisive on leadership.
Moyo’s
interview with the BBC’s HardTalk broadcast this week confirmed factionalism is
worsening as the battle to succeed Mugabe, 91, intensifies.During the interview Moyo became emotional when presenter Stephen Sackur
referred to Mnangagwa as Mugabe’s heir-apparent, a view which is shared by most
Zimbabweans though politically rather than constitutionally grounded.Moyo
immediately interrupted and retorted that Mnangagwa was not the anointed one,
but merely one of the two vice-presidents appointed by Mugabe to assist him
implement his agenda.Moyo’s remarks angered Mnangagwa’s allies who viewed his
statements as further evidence that he is opposed to his ascendancy.