thezimbabwean| Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa scored victory over Jonathan Moyo when he successfully lobbied President Robert Mugabe to demote the former information minister to the higher education portfolio.
Mugabe on Monday reshuffled his cabinet and surprised many by removing Moyo from the powerful information ministry. Former allies Mnangagwa and Moyo had become sworn enemies over the Mugabe succession issue. The vice president was angered by Moyo’s continued use of the official media to denigrate him and his other political foes.
Sources told The Zimbabwean that Mnangagwa curried favour with Grace Mugabe to convince her husband to shift Moyo because of his manipulation of the media.
“Mnangagwa has been lobbying behind the scenes to have Moyo removed. His trump card was Amai who he used to push the president to move him,” said the source. Mugabe’s wife is now widely believed to be virtually running government affairs as age and illness take a toll on the president.
“It is all about the succession war in the party. Apparently, Moyo had teamed up with a number of powerful party members to throw their weight behind VP Mphoko as a way of spiting Mnangagwa,” said the Zanu (PF) insider.
The sources said the Monday reshuffle would worsen divisions in the party. “The party is at great risk of disintegration. It is clear that the party has been forgotten as the succession wars get hotter. Non-one cares about Zanu (PF) now and it is about personal political gain,” said the first source.
The sources agreed that Moyo, Kasukuwere and others opposed to Mnangagwa would intensify their battle to gain more political clout ahead of the 2018 general elections, adding that Grace might end up being politically alienated as the vice presidents felt humiliated by her revelation that they grovelled at her feet.
The information ministry was left vacant and the labour minister, Prisca Mupfumira, will continue acting. The reshuffle also saw Ignatius Chombo, who ran the local government ministry for many years, moving to home affairs.
Chombo, the new Zanu (PF) administration secretary, is believed to be Mugabe’s strategic ally who protects his estate and other interests and being moved to home affairs is considered a reward, even though the minister was at one time linked to the Mujuru faction. Kembo Mohadi, who held the home affairs portfolio, went to state security.