As President Robert Mugabe’s subordinates plan for life after him, his most powerful supporter, CHINA, is also doing the same.
The Chinese government has been warned of a potential disaster if Mugabe hangs on to power despite rapidly deteriorating health and capacity.
Beijing is now worried about political developments in Harare as Zimbabwe is China’s third biggest investment point in Africa.
Speaking to Chinese policy makers, renowned Beijing expert Wang Xinsong expressed concern that China would lose its $10 billion investment in Zimbabwe if Mugabe suddenly drops dead.
Xinsong is a Beijing University academic who specialises in Chinese politics and China’s role in international development
According to Xinsong, China should be very careful as Mugabe’s rule is about to end very soon.
A power struggle in the ruling party to succeed him pits one faction (G40) backing his wife Grace and another, Team Lacoste, coalescing around Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former spy chief.
Xinsong said letting G40 and Team Lacoste fight each other in a post-Mugabe scenario “would be too risky,” hence the need for smooth power transfer.
“Rather, through negotiation and economic leverage, China may try to ensure a peaceful power transition while the aging president is still active enough to make such an important decision. The question is who will receive China’s support. Some reports argue that Mnangagwa, who received his ideological and military training in Beijing and Nanjing in the 1960s, may be China’s preference, but at this moment, the black box is still closed,” Xinsong said.
The associate professor said China has the moral standing to direct Zimbabwe’s path as the Asian nation did not hesitate to grow economic and political connections with Zimbabwe despite the Southern African country’s uncertainties.
As the race to succeed Mugabe gets hotter, China and other global power players, including United Kingdom and the European Union have been rumoured to be closely following and secretly managing Mugabe’s exit journey.
What has also become clear is that they no longer view Zimbabwe’s opposition as solution to the crises.
Big powers want a strongman to steady the ship when Mugabe finally leaves.
That man is believed by many to be Mugabe’s top aide and election agent, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
At the moment, Mugabe appears to be preparing for another long term in office BUT his subordinates, close lieutenants and outside powers are preparing for his death.
MUGABE could be seeing something that no one else sees or he is living in his own world and is out of touch with reality….
