Former Vice President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has fled the country following death threats and assassination attempts on his person.
President Mugabe had accused the former VP of plotting to take power from him.
“He went to Apostolic Church prophets to find out when Mugabe would die%2,” Mugabe told party supporters.
He added that, the route to leadership was long and full of “pitfalls and death”.
Mnangagwa, who was sacked by Mugabe and expelled from the ZANU-PF ruling party, said he fled the country due to death threats.
“My sudden departure was caused by incessant threats on my person, life and family by those who have attempted before through various forms of elimination including poisoning”.
Mrs Mugabe has been seen by many as pioneering the removal of the former VP referring to him as a “snake that must be hit on the head.”
All deck is now cleared as she is most likely to become the next VP and is expected to be appointed next month at the congress of the ruling party.
President Mugabe said Mnangagwa had made the same mistakes as former Vice President Joice Mujuru, who was fired in 2014 after serving with Mugabe for ten years.
%ng with Mugabe for ten years.
“You should not try to say because the journey is long, then I should take a short cut to arrive quickly. The road has lions, there are pitfalls. There is death, beware,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s economy faces turmoil and shortage of foreign currency, as members of the ruling party throw counter accusations of witchcraft, assassination and poisoning plots amid theft of billions of dollars.
The likely fall of Mnangagwa has put the brutal battle of succession in spotlight and on Grace Mugabe’s ambition to grab leadership of the party.
The stage for Mnangagwa removal from office might have been built when he complained that he was poisoned at a rally in Gwanda after taking an ice cream apparently from the Mugabes’ diary, which had him flown to South Africa from liver damage.
The tension was further heightened when Grace Mugabe was jeered at a ZANU-PF rally in Bulawayo, southern Zimbabwe, followed by a police manhunt for the suspected initiator of the booing exercise.
Mnangagwa referred to Mugabe as “one stubborn individual who believes he is entitled to rule this country until death”.
He added that, “this party is not the personal property of you and your wife to do as you please. I have been accused of treasonous acts dating back from 1980. This is not only fake but laughable and the President knows that.”
The former VP also accused Grace Mugabe and her family are living lavishly while Zimbabweans struggle amid economic collapse.
Mrs Mugabe and a son, Russell Goreraza, from a previous marriage had imported Rolls-Royces into the country and also took court action to recover $1.3 million she spent on a diamond ring purchased from Jamal Ahmed, a Lebanese businessman.
Her two younger sons are also controversial in Zimbabwe owing to social media videos, showing them living luxurious and extravagantly in South Africa, partying in night clubs, ordering expensive bottles of Dom Perignon Champagne.
“This is coup by marriage certificate, and it will be resisted,” says Mnangagwa.
