22 - 29 July 2015

Grace Mugabe denies aspirations to succeed president

Independent Media

NewsDay, July 27, 2015. “I’m a victim of smear campaigns: Grace” By Everson Mushava

• Grace Mugabe has said that senior Zanu PF politicians are targeting her in smear campaigns out of fear that she wishes to succeed her husband as President of Zimbabwe.
• She also claimed that some of the campaigns were being channeled through the media. Referring to herself in the third person, Grace Mugabe lamented reports about the Mugabe family that have been appearing in the media.
• Grace said that she harbours no ambitions to enter a presidential race, but that factions from within Zanu PF are plotting against her.
• Grace’s remarks were ostensibly aimed at Zimbabwe’s two vice presidents, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko. Robert Mugabe recently accused both VPs of leading factions of Zanu PF.
• Mugabe has recently said that Grace has great influence over his decisions. Grace has also said publicly that she gives orders to Mnangagwa and Mphoko.

State-controlled Media

The Herald, July 27, 2015. “First Lady hailed on succession” by Daniel Nemukuyu

• Analysts have said that Grace Mugabe’s pronouncement that she does not harbor any ambition to rise to the Zimbabwean presidency is “a call for politicians to move away from electoral and power politics to developmental politics. . .”
• Grace Mugabe said she would rather work on developmental issues and her duties as First Lady.
• Grace Mugabe runs “a children’s home” and school in Mazowe for orphaned children. She also runs several other charities throughout Zimbabwe.
• Analyst Alexander Rusero said that her pronouncements about moving towards “developmental politics” were an indirect plea to political actors in Zimbabwe “to put developmental issues ahead of personal and retrogressive politics of suc- cession [sic].”
• Rusero also said that reports in independent media about Grace’s political ambition imaginary journalism; he said that reports pertaining to Grace’s ambitions will end with her announcement.

The Sunday Mail, July 26, 2015. “First Lady opens up on Presidency” by Mabasa Sasa

• Grace Mugabe said that former Vice president Joice Mujuru lead to her own demise because she was over-ambitious, impatient and surrounded by poor advisors. She said that Robert Mugabe had “tried to be a father” to her but she stabbed him in the back.
• Grace also said that elements of Zanu PF were eying to destroy her candidature for a future role as president. Grace said that the harbours no ambition to be president.

2. Mugabe’s SADC legacy?

State-controlled Media

The Sunday Mail, July 26, 2015 “President ushers in new Sadc order” by Levi Mukarati

• Robert Mugabe’s “visionary tenure as Sadc Chair has engineered an economic revolution that will benefit the whole of Africa for decades” said the Sadc’s Executive Secretary.
• Mugabe’s SADC Chairmanship will be over in August and he has reached “a number of milestones” in improving the lives of Africans.
• The SADC is planning to industrialize to improve trade. Robert Mugabe’s leadership helped political processes in Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho and South Africa. Under Mugabe’s watch, the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement, a free trade agreement between three economic zones, also took place.
• Botswana will be taking over the chairmanship of the SADC next month.

3. Factionalism and media bashing

Independent Media

Zimbabwe Independent, July 24, 2015 “Factionalism cripples ruling Zanu PF’s new restructuring” by Elias Mambo

• “Raging factionalism” in Zanu PF’s “volatile regions” has forced the postponement of the party’s restructuring program. Factionalism is most poignant in Manicaland, Masvingo and the Midlands.
• The infighting is ostensibly due to the power struggle to succeed Robert Mugabe. Factionalism is seemingly most pronounced in Manicaland, where a provincial chairperson was recently expelled from the party for “fanning factionalism.”
• Zanu PF political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere said that factionalism would be dealt with and that there was only one centre of power in the party.
• Earlier last week, Kasukuwere made a public statement distancing himself from factionalism.

NewsDay, July 29, 2015 “Zanu PF MP warns of civil unrest” by Xolisani Ncube

• Joseph Tshuma, the newly-elected MP for Mpopoma-Palendaba has asked the government to act on the economy and stop company closures in Bulawayo.
• Tshuma warned that economic collapse could cause social and political unrest. Tshuma called on all parties to tackle the worsening economy and to help get Zimbabwe on track to stability.
• He remarked that industry in Bulawayo has slowed to a crawl and most youth are unemployed. The collapse of the National Railway of Zimbabwe has left many in Bulawayo destitute, according to Tshuma.
• Bulawayo was once at the centre of Zimbabwean industry. It is now quickly depopulating.

State-controlled Media

The Herald, July 27, 2015 “President exposes NewsDay fibs” by Tendai Mugabe

• Robert Mugabe criticized the daily newspaper NewsDay and claimed that the paper writes false stories about the Mugabe family.
• NewsDay recently published an article stating that Mugabe used a conference in Equatorial Guinea concerning Ebola as a platform for promoting his family’s business.
• Mugabe refuted the claims by commenting that there was essentially no time during his trip to conduct business.
• Mugabe went on to say that he had no influence on the decision for his wife to lead Zanu PF’s Women’s League; that when Grace approached him for advice after the league came to her, he said the decision was up to her to take up the challenge.
• NewsDay has recently published a series of lies about Mugabe’s family and the government. NewsDay reported that Cabinet frequently skips meetings because Mugabe is continuously taking trips abroad.
• AMH, the publishers of NewsDay are seeking donor support because they are in financial difficulty. They plan to attract the attention of fund providers by provoking government action against themselves.