The Hindu : International : Mugabe's succession rocks party

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Friday, Dec 03, 2004

International

International

Mugabe's succession rocks party

By Jonathan Steele and Rory Carroll

By Jonathan Steele

and Rory Carroll

JOHANNESBURG, DEC. 2. The Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, has purged seven senior officials of his party, Zanu-PF, and humiliated a Cabinet ally to quell debate on who will succeed him as President of Zimbabwe.

He slapped down young challengers and relied on the old guard to bolster his authority in a ``night of the long knives.'' Six of the party's 10 provincial chairmen were suspended for six months and the head of the war veterans, Jabulani Sibanda, was suspended for four years. The Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo, was reprimanded, the state media reported.

Worst split

The action exposed deep rifts in the party on the eve of its annual congress, which opened in the capital Harare yesterday, tense with the expectation of further possible purges. The Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) indicated that it was likely to take part in the general election in March, though it feared that voting may not be free and fair.

Triggering what some analysts called the party's worst split for 20 years, a meeting of the Zanu-PF politburo chaired by Mr. Mugabe decided late on Tuesday to punish an apparent cabal of senior but relatively youthful officials.

Their crime was to hold a meeting on November 18 at which they reportedly plotted against Mr. Mugabe's choice for a second Vice-President, Joyce Majuru, in favour of the parliamentary Speaker, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Ms. Majuru is not seen as a serious contender to replace the 80-year-old President but clinching the vice-presidency would position Mr. Mnangagwa to do so. Delegates at the congress are due to vote on who should fill the post. The state media said Mr. Mayo had organised the meeting in his home district, Tsholotsho, to lobby for Mr. Mnangagwa, a mistake for which he had apologised.

As the architect of oppressive media laws, Mr. Moyo grew close to the President, but the state media, which he has recently controlled, has hinted that he might be sacked.

Despite its turmoil, Zanu-PF, with the state's resources and the near-monopoly media on its side, is favoured to retain its parliamentary majority in next year's elections.

The MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, speaking in London at the end of his first foreign trip since his passport was returned after he was cleared of treason, urged other countries to press Mr. Mugabe to guarantee a fair poll.The MDC's national council is to meet soon to decide whether to contest the elections. Although MDC officials see little hope of immediate reforms, they expect the council will decide to do so. —

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