Zimbabwe’s political life is full of surprises after Mugabe’s ousting out of the country. Emmerson Mnangagwa who replaced Robert Mugabe in a bloodless coup in November blames Grace Mugabe faction for a blast, it’s been reported by BBC.
The 75-year-old Mnangagwa believes the blast and attack had been carried out by the G40 group — a faction linked to the wife of ex-dictator. Last year, that political cell within ruling party Zanu-PF was promoting and supporting Grace Mugabe to the power. But November coup didn’t allow that plan to be realized.
Mnangagwa told the BBC’s Fergal Keane he suspected dissidents within his own Zanu-PF party linked to Robert Mugabe’s wife were behind an explosion at a rally he attended in Bulawayo last week. Two people died and more than 40 were injured in the blast inside a stadium as Mr Mnangagwa left the podium. As a result, the faction of Zimbabwe’s ruling party loyal to the former first lady has been blamed for a bombing that came within “inches” of killing the country’s new president.
The new national leader did not blame Grace Mugabe for the attack but accused her supporters he has further isolated the former first lady who is currently visiting Singapore, where her husband is receiving medical treatment after many radical changes in her life. Grace’s husband, Robert Mugabe, was forced from power last year. In 2017, the army intervened to oppose Mrs Mugabe’s attempt to succeed her husband as the country’s leader, and the ruling Zanu-PF party then sacked Mr Mugabe, replacing him with Mr Mnangagwa.
The MDC’s Nelson Chamisa is expected to be Mr Mnangagwa’s main challenger in the election. He has also condemned the attack in Bulawayo. An exiled member of the G40 group, former government minister Jonathan Moyo, earlier tweeted that the blast “smacks of an inside job”.
