Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 28 July 2017

Wife of Zimbabwe’s leader tells Mugabe to name successor

dent’s response was not could call an early elec-
immediately clear. tion.
The president, who has led His party’s secretary for
the southern African na- administration, Ignatius
tion since 1980, already Chombo, last month said
has started campaigning Mugabe could call an
for next year’s vote. He has election in February or
repeatedly said he will not March. He can only do that
choose a successor. if Parliament, where his par-
The 52-year-old Grace ty holds a majority, chooses
Mugabe, who heads the to dissolve itself.
ZANU-PF women’s league, The constitution stipulates
has become increasingly the earliest date Mugabe
powerful. Her decisions can call an election is in
have carried more weight July 2018.
at times than those of the Fights to succeed Mugabe
country’s vice presidents, have intensified in recent
and she has been headlin- months, with Cabinet min-
ing her own political rallies isters and military gener-
since 2014. als trading insults on main-
While she is seen as a po- stream and social media
tential successor to her hus- over the issue.
band, she has sent mixed Mugabe and his wife have
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace attend a rally in Marondera. Zimbabwe’s signals. She has said she warned against senior
first lady on Thursday publicly urged her 93-year-old husband to name a successor, wading into has no problem becoming party officials anointing
a subject that President Mugabe has regarded as taboo.
(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) president but on other oc- themselves as successors.
casions has said she has no A Cabinet minister, Jona-
such ambitions. than Moyo, has repeat-
By FARAI MUTSAKA world’s oldest head of state no.” On Thursday, the first lady edly tweeted that Vice
Associated Press could rule from the grave. With her husband in at- used a biblical analogy President Emmerson Mnan-
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) “If God decides to take tendance, she told mem- of a son who organized a gagwa, a close Mugabe
— Zimbabwe’s first lady on him, then we would rather bers of the ruling ZANU-PF feast to crown himself be- ally since the 1970s war of
Thursday publicly urged field him as a corpse” in the party women’s league: “I cause his father was close liberation from white minor-
her 93-year-old husband to 2018 election, she said ear- am asking him now in front to death. She said naming ity rule, has done so. Mnan-
name a successor, wading ly this year. of you ... You, president, a successor “has been the gagwa has denied the
into a subject that Presi- But in comments shown by don’t be afraid. Tell us trend in other countries,” claim, saying he is loyal to
dent Robert Mugabe has state broadcaster ZBC, the your choice, which horse ZBC reported. the president.
regarded as taboo. first lady on Thursday said should we back. Because Some analysts have Mnangagwa leads one
Grace Mugabe, whose po- she had been arguing with we respect him, his word suggested that Robert of the two factions setting
litical influence has been him about naming a suc- will be final.” The audience Mugabe, who visibly strug- themselves up to succeed
growing, previously said the cessor: “He says no, no, cheered, though the presi- gles to walk these days, Mugabe. q

Ethiopia to give ID cards to Rastafarians long stateless

By ELIAS MESERET nationals who have made opians so were somehow gan after the emperor the example for the rest of
Associated Press positive contributions to the stateless. This national ID will came to power, has follow- the continent in recogniz-
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia country. address this problem.” ers who believe he is god. ing the Rastafarian move-
(AP) — Ethiopia will issue “These individuals have Close to one thousand Ras- “We are overjoyed,” said ment.”
national identity cards for long been unable to enter tafarians live in Ethiopia, es- Ras King, a prominent Ethiopian Jews, also known
the nearly 1,000 Rastafar- and leave the country eas- pecially in the capital, Ad- member of the Rastafarian as Beta Israel, have a sig-
ians who long have been ily,” Foreign Ministry spokes- dis Ababa, and a southern community who first came nificant presence both in
seen as stateless in the East man Meles Alem told The town called Shashamane. to Ethiopia in 1982. “We are Ethiopia and in Israel.
African nation, the govern- Associated Press. “In the Ethiopia’s last emperor, extremely happy because The foreign ministry said the
ment announced Thursday. case of Rastafarians, we Haile Selassie, granted land this has fulfilled our confi- thousands of people who
The decision means they have three generations of for the Shashamane settle- dence in our forefathers’ will be issued the new iden-
can enter without visas and people residing here that ment for black people who vision for a united Africa tity cards still cannot take
live without residence per- have blended well with our helped fight off Fascist Ital- and black people from part in elections or engage
mits. The move also affects citizens. But sadly they were ian forces in the 1930s. the West. As usual, Ethiopia in the country’s security
Ethiopian Jews and foreign neither Caribbean nor Ethi- Rastafarianism, which be- has led the way and set and defense sectors.q