GRACE MUGABE TAKES OVER ZANU-PF WOMENS LEAGUE The wife of - TopicsExpress

GRACE MUGABE TAKES OVER ZANU-PF WOMENS LEAGUE The wife of Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe was on Friday chosen to lead the ruling partys powerful womens wing, catapulting her into active politics and adding new intrigue to the battle to succeed the 90-year-old strongman. The nomination of 49-year-old Grace Mugabe as the sole candidate for the position of the national secretary of the ZANU-PF womens league was endorsed by a conference in Harare. The position is sure to be confirmed at the partys elective congress in December. I feel very much overwhelmed by the nomination, she told at least 3 000 delegates who backed her. Her new position will propel her into the ZANU-PF partys supreme decision-making body, the politburo. MUGABE DYNASTY As the national secretary of the partys women wing, the former presidential typist will sit in the ZANU-PF inner cabinet and play an active role in the faction-riven battle to succeed her husband, who took power in 1980 on Zimbabwes independence from Britain. But the womens meeting also decided that the veteran ruler should stand as the partys presidential candidate in 2018 elections, by which time Mugabe will be 94. The move to back Africas oldest leader, as the sole candidate for the next national vote will set the tone for the December crucial party congress and it comes amid speculation by analysts that a Mugabe dynasty could be in the making. During his 34-year rule Mugabe has studiously avoided naming a successor, yet he has expressed his personal worries over the absence of a suitable successor. FUTURE WITHOUT MUGABE Factions led by Vice President Joice Mujuru and Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa have in recent years been jockeying for the presidential post, dividing the party and raising concern over its future without Mugabe. Haggling between the two factions cost the party dearly in the 2008 elections when Morgan Tsvangirais opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won the majority of parliamentary seats. Mugabe loyalists said the move to endorse Grace Mugabe as head of the womens wing was aimed at bridging the divisions threatening to tear Zanu-PF apart. She expressed hope that factionalism will come to an end. Grace Mugabe has previously taken a back seat in the Zanu-PF drama, keeping herself busy with charity work and lately with running businesses, including a dairy farm. Uncertainty over Mugabes succession and concerns about his age and deteriorating health have divided the government and stalled growth in the ailing economy, with investors adopting a wait and see attitude.