Mugabe Tightens Grip On Party, Plans To Choose Successor

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe addresses supporters outside his ZANU PF party headquarters in Harare

Zimbabwe’s president, Robert Mugabe changed the constitution of his ruling ZANU-PF party so as to allow him to directly appoint his deputies, thereby giving him the sole power to anoint his successor, party sources has said. Reuters has more:

Until now Mugabe and his two ZANU-PF deputies have been elected by members from the country’s 10 regions. The deputies automatically took up the same posts in government.

The changes to the ZANU-PF charter enacted at an all-night meeting of its politburo give Mugabe an even tighter grip at a time when deputy president Joice Mujuru has been accused of plotting to oust him at a party congress next month.

ZANU-PF’s chairman told reporters that the party had agreed “far-reaching amendments” to its constitution.

He declined to give details but two senior ZANU-PF members at the marathon meeting of the party’s top executive body told Reuters Mugabe would now appoint his deputies, giving him unassailable control of a party he has led since 1975.