Zanu-PF youth league endorses Grace Mugabe for VP post

November 6, 2017

Harare – Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party youth league has endorsed First lady Grace Mugabe as the right candidate to occupy the vice presidency ahead of the extraordinary congress set for December, a report said on Monday.

According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, the youth league’s secretary general Kudzanai Chipanga said that Grace was the right candidate because her loyalty to President Robert Mugabewas unquestionable.

This came just a day after the first lady reportedlydeclared that under fire Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa should be gone from both the government and Zanu-PF before the congress.

“Trouble causers in the party must go before the next congress. He (Mnangagwa) must be dropped before we meet at congress in order for us to have unity in the party,” Grace was quoted as saying.

Chipanga said that the youth league was behind Grace’s call for the removal of Mnangagwa.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Zanu-PF youth league is fully behind the Secretary for Women’s Affairs Amai Dr Grace Mugabe in calling for the urgent removal of Mnangagwa from the position of the vice president noth in the party and government,” said Chipanga in comments carried by the Herald .

Mnangagwa, who had been touted as a possible successor to Mugabe, 93, has recently fallen out with the first family.

On Saturday Mugabe threatened to fire Mnangagwa, accusing him of fanning factionalism to garner support ahead of the special congress.