the Battle to Succeed Mugabe Steps Up in Zimbabw

Zimbabwe: Mujuru vs. Mnangagwa 

This year could see Mugabe's successor emerge once and for all, but who will it be? Mujuru has the numbers, but Mnangagwa has the powerful backers.

Barely half a year after Zimbabweans voted to keep ZANU-PF in power and maintain Robert Mugabe as president, another crucial election battle is raging, albeit this time behind the scenes and within the inner workings of the ruling party.

At almost 90 years old, few expect Mugabe to continue for too much longer and the struggle to be his replacement is in full swing. Furthermore, this competition is only likely to intensify as the party's annual congress, which is to be held in December and at which the president's successor will likely emerge, fast approaches.

After 33 years of Mugabe at the helm, the prospect of a new president is becoming all the more real, and the usually concealed power struggles within ZANU-PF are increasingly being played out in the national spotlight. Everyone seems to agree that the two main contenders are Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, and both appear to be ramping up their campaigns to take over the top job. But who or what will decide which candidate succeeds, and which hopeful has the upper hand?