Zimbabwe: Minister Hints At Mugabe Retirement?

THE SHRILL panic with which Grace Mugabe, supported by Oppah Muchinguri, moved to force the removal and swift replacement of Joice Mujuru left most Zimbabweans wondering what might have spooked the country's First Lady into action.

Muchinguri offered to step down as head of the Zanu PF women's league so Grace could take over, and the First Lady used her subsequent nomination to stage whirlwind rallies across the country which she used to denounce Mujuru and prepare the ground for her ouster.

Mujuru has since been replaced by Emmerson Mnangagwa with Phelekezela Mphoko coming in as second vice president in a shake-up that saw several cabinet ministers whose loyalty President Robert Mugabe considered suspect being fired.

However, Muchinguri, perhaps inadvertently, or wittingly even, let slip the likelihood of even more significant changes to the country's leadership as the vice presidents and ministers took their oaths before Mugabe at State House last Friday.

Mugabe turns 91 in two months' time. He claims to be in fantastic physical shape for a man his age, but several "telling" gaffes at the Zanu PF congress were seen to suggest his advanced age is now taking its toll on a man who has led the country for 34 years.

But clearly addressing murmurs that the brutal government and Zanu PF purges were aimed at finally resolving - before stepping down - the succession question in a way that secures his family's physical and material security, Mugabe declared that he would remain in office as long as he was sane.

The party even agreed he would be its candidate for the 2018 general elections.

However, Friday's remarks by Muchinguri renewed speculation that the veteran leader has probably decided to retire.

Asked by journalists whether the removal of Mujuru and the appointment of an all-male "top three" at State and in the ruling party did not represent a huge setback for women's empowerment, Muchinguri said: "Something will soon be done to deal with that.

"I can't reveal it here, or discuss about it, but soon you will see something being done to solve that (the absence of women in the presidium)."

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Zimbabwe: Minister Hints At Mugabe Retirement?