Robert Mugabe, the Zim-Bob-Wean President, has encouraged his ruling Zanu PF party to openly discuss his successor, adding to speculation that he might be considering retirement.
| "Talk among yourselves. It'll be interesting to see who's the most ambitious..." Bob's retirement's been rumored, it's been talked about, and I doubt it's going to happen. Bob's a toes-first kind of dictator... |
The veteran leader, in power since God was in knee pants independence from Britain in 1980, first hinted last month that he was ready to relinquish power and meet the main opposition over a deepening political and economic crisis if it recognised his disputed re-election. "The issue of my successor must be debated openly although I would urge you not to allow it to create divisions within the party," Mugabe told about 7 000 party supporters. "I am well aware that there are people keen on the position and some have even consulted traditional healers to enhance their chances, but I want to warn them that a successor can only be chosen by the people," he said in the local Shona language.
| "Not all the people, of course, but people. Like me. And maybe Grace..." |
Mugabe's government has dismissed a report in the private Daily News last week that the international community was preparing an economic package for crisis-ridden Zimbabwe, which hinges on his resigning before the end of the year.
| "My people love me. They'd rather starve than see me step down..." |
The report came a week after the leaders of South Africa, Nigeria and Malawi met Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition leader, in a bid to resolve the country's problems of spiralling prices, shortages, low employment and unrest. The talks added to speculation that Mugabe (79) may be ready to retire after 23 years in power. However, earlier Mugabe vowed that Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which he accuses of being a puppet of Western nations, would only rule in the southern African state "over our dead bodies".
| Toldja. He's a toes-first kind of guy... |
The MDC has launched a court challenge against Mugabe's election in March last year six-year term. Western countries and the Commonwealth condemned the poll as fraudulent. Mugabe accuses the West of sabotaging Zimbabwe's economy as punishment for the government's seizure of white-owned commercial farms for redistribution to landless blacks. |