Mnangagwa firing boosts chances for Grace Mugabe
The reaction of the military could be key. Some army generals back Mnangagwa to succeed Mugabe
Harare — Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe fired Emmerson Mnangagwa as vice-president on Monday for showing “traits of disloyalty”, his information minister said, removing a favourite to succeed the 93-year-old leader. Mnangagwa’s removal provides a boost for Mugabe’s wife, Grace, who has been a vocal critic of the vice-president and is also seen as a potential successor to her husband. “The vice-president has consistently and persistently exhibited traits of disloyalty, disrespect, deceitfulness and unreliability,” Information Minister Simon Khaya Moyo said. “It had become evident that his conduct in his discharge of his duties had become inconsistent with his official responsibilities,” Moyo said. Mnangagwa’s top aide, Christopher Gwatidzo, said he had not seen the statement by Moyo. Grace Mugabe, nicknamed “Gucci Grace” for her love of shopping, called Mnangagwa a “coup plotter” and a “coward” on Sunday in a speech that inflamed an already bad-tempered rift in the ruling Zanu-PF...
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