Zimbabwe’s vice president could be sidelined by party
Friday, October 20, 2017
Subject
ZANU-PF infighting.
Significance
A cabinet reshuffle by President Robert Mugabe on October 9 removed key allies of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and demoted him to vice president without portfolio. Among persistent wrangling between the rival ‘G40’ and ‘Lacoste’ factions ahead of the 2018 elections, the ZANU-PF politburo has agreed to hold a ‘Special Congress’ in December at which there will be elections for senior posts. If the extraordinary congress is held, Mnangagwa could be the biggest leadership casualty.
Impacts
- Confirmation of an early poll would cause heightened economic uncertainty and deter foreign investment in the short term.
- More centralised and politically motivated financial decision-making is likely under the new finance minister.
- Minister of Defence Sydney Sekeramayi could emerge as a potential presidential successor for the ailing 93-year-old Mugabe.
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