Zimbabwe's President Will Reveal His Preferred Successor

In recent years — and particularly in recent months — different actors within Zimbabwe's ruling party have been trying to maneuver into a favorable position to succeed President Robert Mugabe when the 90-year-old leader retires or otherwise leaves office. Zimbabwe has experienced international isolation under Mugabe's rule, and there is hope that a succession would give the country an opportunity to rejoin the international community and start rebuilding its economy. The two main factions hoping to succeed Mugabe reportedly are engaging foreign investors ahead of a potential succession to facilitate this economic revival.

The Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party congress, to be held Dec. 2-7, will see the election of party leaders and the politburo, the party's main policy organ. Mugabe, who was last re-elected in July 2013, will enter this congress with the ability to promote his preferred successor. The party president's deputies and politburo members — important positions in Zimbabwean politics — will be appointed directly by Mugabe rather than through internal elections as they had been previously (although Mugabe also heavily influenced those elections). These appointments could resolve the question of who will succeed the president, whose health is in decline.