92-year-old Mugabe refuses to relinquish power, says until he dies

Mujuru last week registered her Zimbabwe People First party with the country’s electoral commission “because of overwhelming support from the people”, she said by phone on Wednesday from the capital, Harare.

As the factional succession fights in Zanu PF intensify, police on Thursday morning reportedly stopped a planned war veterans’ rally that was due to be held at the City Sports Centre in Harare.

“Your Excellency, Cde President, as far as we know, you are the only state and party authority we know as you were elected in national polls in 2013 and at the Zanu PF National People’s Congress in December 2014 and you have all powers invested in you as the appointing authority with the prerogative to disappoint and appoint in both the party and the government”, he said.

Her ousting came after a campaign by Mr Mugabe’s wife Grace denigrating Ms Mujuru and accusing her of corruption, fomenting party division and plotting to topple Mr Mugabe.

Yesterday, the Daily News also reported that as Zanu PF’s factional and succession wars escalate, Team Lacoste was increasingly mounting an open rebellion against Mugabe and Grace, amid indications that the group wanted the increasingly frail nonagenarian out of office before the 2018 national elections.

Mujuru, who was replaced as vice president by long-time Mugabe ally Emmerson Mnangagwa, denied all accusations of disloyalty.

“The party will have to be phenomenally creative to mount a serious challenge for power”.

The veterans who fought in the war that led to independence from Britain in 1980 have been angered by what they call disrespectful comments by Grace Mugabe and her G-40 allies.

The leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition Movement for Democratic Change Morgan Tsvangirai has warned that Harare is on the edge of the precipice as President Robert Mugabe is losing control of his party and nation.

Mujuru signalled her intention to form a rival party a year ago by releasing a manifesto that opposed Mugabe’s key policies including indigenisation laws that compel foreign firms to cede majority stakes to locals.

Mr Mnangagwa is now viewed as the likely next president, with Grace Mugabe also a possible candidate.

At the end of last month, Mugabe attended an African Union summit in Ethiopia to give a long speech as he stepped down from his year as AU chairman.

Zimbabwean Vice-President Joice Mujuru.