Zanu PF national spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa has come out strongly against what he described as “premature” succession debates within the ruling party, defending President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leadership and constitutional mandate.
Speaking at a press conference held at Zanu PF headquarters in Harare yesterday, Mutsvangwa said President Mnangagwa is focused on delivering prosperity and warned internal party members against pushing early succession narratives.
“The President is delivering on the mandate of prosperity, which he was given by the people of Zimbabwe, because that’s what they want,” Mutsvangwa said.
He disapproved growing internal pressure and speculation over who might take over from Mnangagwa whose second and final term constitutionally ends in 2028.
“People of Zimbabwe do not vote for presidents so that they can nominate successors and that’s not the business of the electorate. Why can’t those who are coming from the party hold their horses? They can hold on until their time comes. There was an attempt at a premature foisting of a successor,” he said.
The outspoken former war veterans leader warned that the party has a history of rejecting leaders who attempt to impose themselves or their preferred successors outside the will of the people.
“When a time came that a leader was no longer serving a revolution, we removed them and our people support the war even when leaders were removed because they had tried to be entitled to the revolution, we dispense with such a kind of leadership. Whenever a leader tries to become bigger than the revolution, we deal with him because that is the tradition of Zanu PF,” Mutsvangwa added.
In a reference to the dramatic 2017 ouster of late President Robert Mugabe, Mutsvangwa accused the former leader of trying to establish a family dynasty.
“The reason why President Mugabe had to be removed along the way was because he had decided to create a dynasty in this country, so he was moving with his succession agenda outside the context of the Zimbabwean people.
“He had turned his house and household into a courthouse of intrigue against the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which is what then led those who had put him in power originally, the war veterans, to remove him.
“If you begin to subvert the will of the people yourself as head of State, there is a difference between President Emmerson Mnangagwa saying I am a constitutionalist and I follow the Constitution, from Mugabe saying my wife becomes the new queen when I am gone,” he said
