Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has appointed two deputies to take over from sacked Vice-President Joice Mujuru.
They are hardline Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and diplomat Phelekezela Mphoko.
Mr Mugabe dismissed Mrs Mujuru - and seven ministers - after accusing her of corruption and plotting to kill him.
Mrs Mujuru, once seen as a possible future leader, has denied plotting against the president.
State media and Mr Mugabe's wife, Grace, had conducted a campaign against her for months.
Successor?
Mr Mnangagwa, 68, known as "The Crocodile", is one of Mr Mugabe's most trusted aides.
He served Mr Mugabe before and during the 1970s guerrilla war against white-minority rule, and has been a member of every administration since independence from Britain in 1980.
He has been minister of state security, defence and finance, as well as the speaker of parliament.
Correspondents say his elevation makes him the most likely eventual successor to Mr Mugabe as president.
Mr Mnangagwa, who has been designated as the senior of the two deputies, and Mr Mphoko are due to be sworn in on Friday.
The ministers whose sacking was announced on Tuesday included State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa - another long-time ally of Mr Mugabe - and Energy Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire, who was seen as close to Mrs Mujuru.
There is no word on their replacements yet.
Mr Mugabe, 90, has been in power since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. He is due to stand for election again in 2018.
Source: BBC
No comments:
Post a Comment