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Zimbabwe Mugabe’s successor — the debate hots up |
POLITICS
There are now wide and persistent calls for a change of leadership for
the country.
But pressure is also mounting within the ruling ZANU-PF party
for a successor to
President Robert Mugabe who is constantly being blamed
for plundering the country’s economy
Prior to the June parliamentary elections, Zimbabwe suffered serious political turmoil following the forced seizure of thousands of farms owned by white commercial farmers. The liberation war veterans who fought up to 1980 to oust British colonial rule, reclaimed «the land of their ancestors stolen by British settlers.»
Relations between Zimbabwe and Britain, Zimbabwe’s former colonial power, have been tense since the land dispute started earlier this year — a dispute that has resulted in 31 people killed during the height of confrontations between the war veterans, supporters of the opposition MDC and the police who tried to quell the trouble. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been withholding balance of payment and development aid, criticising Mugabe for his unfair handling of the land re-distribution programme, which he continues to use as a political weapon to prop up waning support and placate his ZANU-PF supporters.
All hell broke loose following ZANU-PF‘s poor showing in the June 2000 parliamentary elections when it narrowly won 62 of the 120 seats; the opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MDC) winning 57 constituencies.
Mugabe hanging on
ZANU-PF is to meet in December in congress, to map out the future for the party in decline, and a committee has already been formed to seek views from the party faithful regarding Mugabe’s successor. Pressure is growing for new blood in the party, but at the same time, Mugabe and his old guard, are doing their level best to remain at the helm.
Dumiso Dabengwa, the former Home Affairs Minister who is chairing the Review Committee, told the Zimbabwe Mirror that people are demanding that the party should now be clear on having a successor to Mugabe in time for the year 2002 elections. Even members of ZANU-PF‘s national executive committee and ZANU-PF Members of Parliament unanimously agree that Mugabe must retire. A member of the party politburo has let it be known: «We are all in agreement that Mugabe must go. That is no longer an issue. The problem is, we can’t agree on a candidate».
The reform wing is rallying behind Finance Minister, Dr Simba Makoni, whom Mugabe appointed in his new cabinet after the June elections. Makoni a respected businessman and former executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), is presently trying to reconcile Zimbabwe with the IMF, convinced the country needs the help of the donor institution. He is respected both at home and abroad for his attempts to help the economy, but he lacks any following within the party.
Other names being heard around as possible successors to Mugabe include ZANU MP Edson Svobo, a choice of the politburo: Parliament’s Speaker, Emmerson Mnangagwa; and Home Affairs Minister, John Nkomo.
Meanwhile, Mugabe continues to receive angry headlines in the local press, for what they term his «extravagance in spending public funds for endless trips abroad, usually with oversized entourages», and this at the time when the economy is almost on its knees.
In September, there was a scathing report in the Daily News when it was revealed that Mugabe spent a staggering $13 million Zimbabwe dollars on a 13-day trip to Libya, France and the USA, accompanied by his family and a large entourage of government officials.
A tyre-fitter in Harare commented: «This money could have been better used to buy medicines for our hospitals. There is no way Mugabe will ever learn — even after almost losing to the MDC.
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