The Observer - 9 March 2014 - 5
Mutasa’s illness blow to Mujuru’s plans
S
Kennedy Maposa
ecretary for administration Didymus
Mutasa’s failing health would prevent him
from actively pursuing promotion at ZanuPF’s elective congress.
Zanu-PF’s succession battle has taken a new
twist after the party’s secretary for administration,
Didymus Mutasa, fell seriously ill two weeks ago.
“He might not recover [sufficiently] to become
active in politics again,” said an official in the party’s
administration, pointing out that it was not President
Robert Mugabe’s habit to retire -ailing comrades.
Late vice-presidents Joshua Nkomo, Simon
Muzenda and John Nkomo all died in office.
Mutasa’s failing health would prevent him from
actively pursuing promotion at the party’s elective
congress, which is expected this year.
Mutasa had aligned himself to a faction led by
Vice-President Joice Mujuru, who is angling to
succeed Mugabe.
She has been embroiled in a bitter low-key factional
war with Minister of Justice Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Clandestine battle
According to a pact with Mujuru, Mutasa was
earmarked for the position of chairperson, currently
held by Simon Khaya-Moyo, who is tipped to succeed
the late John Nkomo as second vice-president.
Khaya-Moyo belongs to the Mujuru faction.
So far, the succession battle has been clandestine,
with no one openly challenging Mugabe for his
position.
Soon after last year’s elections were won
by Zanu-PF, Mujuru, whose late husband
Solomon Mujuru died in a mysterious fire,
indicated she was ready to take over from
Mugabe.
Mnangagwa is said to be keen on filling
the position of vice-president, which he
lost to Mujuru in 2004.
His ally, Obert Mpofu, wants to take over
as vice-president, ahead of Khaya-Moyo.
Mugabe lambasted the faction leaders
during an interview to mark his 90th
birthday last month, saying it was “terrible
even to have your name mentioned as leader
of a faction. It is shameful.”
The president, who recently underwent
eye surgery in Singapore, said his position
was not vacant.
Although Mujuru has been well placed
to succeed Mugabe since her elevation
to the position in 2004, the succession
pendulum appears to have swung too far
Vice-President Joice Mujuru is angling to succeed President Robert Mugabe. (Shepherd Tozvireva)
for the party’s second in command since
Zimbabwe adopted a new Constitution last
year.
In terms of the Constitution, the party
General
Mujuru’s
companies in
dire straits
T
Kudzai Mashininga
he late General Solomon Mujuru’s business empire appears to be in trouble.
Four companies in which Mujuru had
major interests have fallen on hard times.
Mujuru died under suspicious circumstances in
an inferno at his house in 2011. His estate, estimated
by local media to run into millions, has yet to be
settled.
The late Zanu-PF politburo member was a
farmer and notable businessman, whose interests
expanded into many sectors of the economy.
Mujuru was survived by his wife, Vice-President
Joice Mujuru.
The mine he was ¬heavily invested in, River
Ranch, is one of the businesses going through
turbulence.
No clear picture of the future of the mine
Two weeks ago, Walter Chidhakwa, the minister
of mines and mining development, told Parliament
that River Ranch’s ¬management had told him
it was trying its best to bring the mine back into
operation. Chidhakwa did not say when the mine
had closed.
“However, I also heard that they may be selling.
Therefore, we may not get a clear picture of the
future of the mine, but I will continue to speak to
them and try to encourage them,” said Chidhakwa.
“If they want to sell, let them sell to someone so
that the activities can be restored. If they want to
maintain it, they should do so, so that we can have
production that is badly needed by this country. At
this point, that is all I can say.”
The minister said that, according to his information, the mine was also failing to pay its workers’ full
salaries.
Chidhakwa said the firm was exploring the possibility of taking up an $11-million credit line offered
by Indian investors who wanted to partner with it.
Another company in which the late general had
shares, the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed Willdale, which manufactures bricks and clay products, is
said by the Central African Stock Exchanges Bulletin
to be in need of $8-million to return it to viability.
• Continued from Page 7
EMPLOYMENT
BUREAU
would have to nominate a specific successor
should the position become vacant before
the completion of the serving president’s
term. - M&G