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.