Infighting as succession plans proceed in Zimbabwe

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“The Zimbabwe political crisis caused by the internal (members), that’s a party struggle,” said He Wenping, research fellow of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in a studio interview by CGTN.

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has been in power for as long as 37 years. According to He, since Robert Mugabe is getting older and older, he has to consider how to smooth transfer his power after him. His wife, the first lady Grace Mugabe, has become more ambitious, and now she has gradually moved into the power circle of the party.

But as now the vice president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa has been sacked, the first lady Grace Mugabe herself came out and said, “That is (because of) the resentment coming from the army.”

He said that because the ousted vice president used to be the Defense Minister, and enjoyed high reputation from not only the military but from the people on the ground. She believes it is because of a very strong resentment from the army. Since they cannot tolerate the post-Mnangagwa left will be taken by the first lady Grace Mugabe.

As to how will next year's election go given the current circumstance? He said the vice president now will become a party leader and naturally the next president. That will be a great possibility.

As to which end will the country go from here? A new stable administration with dominant power, or one split by new authorities and the die-hard Mugabe supporters?

He thought the ruling party needs to consider how to keep the party as a whole and how to strengthen their unity.

According to He, maybe the most critical challenge is how to improve the county’s economy. Zimbabwe’s economy has worsened, now the country no longer has its own currency.

To improve their administration, a solid foundation for the new government needs to be set in place, and then they can pave the way forward towards a better economy. The country needs to open their door widely to attract foreign investors, said He, adding, “That’s the thing ahead of the new leadership.”