Harare – In an unprecedented move, it is reported that on Monday Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe fired his Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa. It is also reported that this ensues came as a result as the battle between Mnangagwa and Mugabe’s wife Grace to succeed the veteran leader had reached intense heights.
“(President) Mugabe has exercised his powers to relieve honourable vice president E.D. Mnangagwa of his position as vice president,” Information Minister Simon Khaya-Moyo told a press briefing in Harare.
This came just a day after the first lady reportedly declared that the under fire vice president should be gone from both the government and Zanu-PF before the congress.
“Trouble causers in the party must go before the next congress. He (Mnangagwa) must be dropped before we meet at congress in order for us to have unity in the party,” Grace was quoted as saying.
In an interview with News24, Derek Matyszak, said: “It’s too soon to know how Mnangagwa’s supporters are going to react. But I think after what happened over the weekend, Mugabe’s move was not at all surprising.”
Grace declared over the weekend that Mnangagwa should be gone from both the government and Zanu-PF before the party’s extraordinary congress in December.
“The firing of Mnangagwa could cause Mugabe and the G40 some discomfort ahead of the party extraordinary congress. But, this all depends on how strong Mnangagwa’s support base is. If his support base is weak, he could end up in political wilderness like his predecessor Joice Mujuru,” said Matyszak.
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