Grace Mugabe Fans Speculation on Presidential Bid

The wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Thursday hinted she could seek to take over the reins when his long rule finally ends, as she intensified attacks on a another possible contender.

Campaigning outside Harare, Grace Mugabe, 49, said she too could be president, while accusing Vice-President Joice Mujuru of plotting to topple her husband.

"Some people are saying I have ambitions to be president. Why not? Am I not a citizen of Zimbabwe?" she said, fanning speculation of a Mugabe dynasty in the making.

Robert Mugabe, 90, has been in power since 1980 and has long avoided appointing a successor.

The South Africa-born typist-turned-first-lady recently exploded onto the political scene, campaigning to become head of the ruling ZANU-PF's powerful women's league.

But her comments on the presidency appear targeted as much at rival Mujuru as revealing her own ambitions.

Mujuru along with powerful Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa -- who in the past controlled the secret police and military -- are seen as leading contenders to succeed Robert Mugabe.

Political commentators have suggested Mnangagwa may have encouraged Grace Mugabe's recent bitter attacks on "faction leaders."

On Thursday those attacks intensified, with Grace Mugabe for the first time attacking Mujuru by name.

"She wants to use money to topple Mugabe," Grace Mugabe said in an address to war veterans at her farm in Mazowe.

"Mai Mujuru must resign. Mai Mujuru was moving around and buying people to take over. A lot were paid. I cannot name them. They might (suffer a) stroke."

"Today we urge you to step aside and make way for capable people to go ahead. There are plenty of people who can run this country, not Mujuru."

Mujuru is the widow of the late liberation war army commander Solomon Mujuru and remains popular with the party's grass roots.

ZANU-PF will hold a crunch elective congress in December.

Robert Mugabe is expected to be confirmed as the party's leader, but the fight for positions on the powerful politburo could be decisive.