President Emmerson Mnangagwa is reported to have invited Equatorial Guinea president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo to mediate between him and former president Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa is said to be unhappy with Mugabe’s role in the opposition National Patriotic Front and wanted Mugabe’s endorsement ahead of the July 30 polls. Sources who spoke to The Zimbabwe Independent said,
Mnangagwa is worried about the tension from an electoral perspective. He also understands that Mugabe still has residual support in Zanu PF and that backing has been manifested through the National Patriotic Front (NPF). Even if NPF has no strong leadership and structures, there are internal masses who are disgruntled who do not support Mnangagwa. The fear is that if Mugabe takes this support base to the opposition, that will hurt Zanu PF and Mnangagwa.
…He (Nguema) met Mnangagwa on Thursday and then Mugabe later on for less than an hour. Nguema as a friend of Mugabe said he had come to mediate between the two. But Mugabe repeated his position that Mnangagwa’s government was unconstitutional as it came through a coup.
However, the National Patriotic Front has endorsed MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa.
More: The Zimbabwe Independent