HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa takes his annual leave starting this Tuesday and has strangely gifted Vice President Kembo Mohadi more days to act in his capacity than co-Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

According to a Monday statement by Acting Chief Secretary George Charamba, Mohadi will act as president for 20 successive days while Chiwenga will be in that position for just 11.

Perhaps to keep a handle on state affairs, Mnangagwa will not leave the country during the period of his month-long annual leave and shall occasionally break his vacation to exercise his functions as president.

Said Charamba in his statement, “His Excellency the President, Dr E.D Mnangagwa, starts his month-long annual vacation tomorrow, 31st December, 2024.

“He plans to spend his vacation in the country, and will be available for commitments requiring his personal attention, both as State President and as Chairman of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).”

He added, “While he is on leave, the two Vice Presidents, Hon K.C.D Mohadi, and Hon. Dr C.G.D.N Chiwenga, will stand in for him in that order. Vice President Mohadi will act from 31st December, 2024 to 19th January, 2025.

“Thereafter, Vice President Chiwenga will act until His Excellency the President resumes duty in early February.”

Charamba did not give any reasons why Mohadi will enjoy more days as acting president than Chiwenga.

However, previous events within the presidency have suggested a paranoid Zimbabwean incumbent keen to protect his job from Chiwenga, widely viewed as having presidential ambitions.

Chiwenga, the once popular military general who led the November 2017 ouster of former President Robert Mugabe and installed Mnangagwa in the late detector’s position,  has never made any direct bid for presidency although he is widely rumoured to be making frantic manoeuvres behind the scenes to land the country’s top job.

Unlike his predecessor Robert Mugabe who often flew to Thailand together with his family to enjoy his month-long vacation, Mnangagwa has elected to spend his in the country with signs he wants to maintain his grip on the presidency.

This comes amid security concerns on the Zimbabwean leader, under fire for allegedly sponsoring a bid to stay in power beyond his constitutional two-term limits.

In September this year, Mnangagwa abruptly cancelled his scheduled trip to New York for the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly with Charamba citing a “dense programme in the last quarter of 2024″ as the reason behind the decision.

The strange decision followed what was widely viewed as threats to the incumbent’s security after a helicopter that was set to ferry him crash-landed at an airstrip in Masvingo where he celebrated his 82nd birthday.

Mnangagwa was not on board at the time.