Zimbabweans Urge Mugabe, 90, Not to Seek Re-election
The Zanu-PF constitution clearly stipulates that anyone who takes over from him should go through the party’s electoral processes
WASHINGTON DC — Some Zimbabweans say 90-year-old President Robert Mugabe should not seek re-election in Zanu-PF’s December congress though indications are that he is the front runner for the party’s top post of first secretary. Reacting to a Studio 7 weekend report that Mr. Mugabe will be seeking re-election in the next congress, most respondents to two VOA Zimbabwe Service Facebook threads on this issue said the president should, in fact, facilitate the handing of power to a young leader. Most respondents noted that Mr. Mugabe is not in a position to hand-pick a successor as the Zanu-PF constitution clearly stipulates that anyone who takes over from him should go through the party’s electoral processes. At least two of the respondents said the president should appoint a successor like Gideon Gono or his 17-year-old son, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe. They ruled out top contenders Vice President Joice Mujuru and Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa saying they need a lot of public scrutiny. In a recent documentary, President Mugabe said he has assessed some of the people contesting for the presidential seat but he has not made his mind in singling one of them as his successor. Zanu-PF activist Morris Ngwenya, who is also a political commentator, said President Mugabe is unlikely to hand-pick a successor. “President Mugabe wants to follow the party’s political processes and that is why he does not want to choose a successor,” he said. Political analyst Dumisani Nkomo said Mr. Mugabe won’t appoint a successor saying he is power hungry. “He wants to succeed himself and as such he will never appoint a successor.”