Nkomo’s death “may further divide the party on factional grounds, given the long history of succession tussles,” said International Crisis Group’s senior researcher, Trevor Maisiri.
“The party may mute the succession of the vice president and hold on until after elections.”
Nkomo’s appointment was the culmination of a political journey that began in the early 1960s, when he joined the pro-independence movement, Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU).
The group later became part of Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party and Nkomo’s appointment was a way of cementing that relationship.
If Mugabe chooses to delay naming Nkomo’s successor, he runs the risk of plunging into disarray the ZANU-ZAPU coalition, foment allegations of the marginalisation of the Matabele, and give the MDC an easy ride in Matabeleland.
ZANU-PF will “not want to go to the next election without having appointed a vice president from that region, who will lead the party’s (campaign) in that region,” Maisiri told AFP.
His death prompted condolences from the US embassy in Harare, which said he played “an important role in shaping the course of Zimbabwean history.”
“Whether as a teacher, a politician, an advocate for Zimbabwe’s independence, or as a public servant, Vice President Nkomo was a patriot who dedicated his life to Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and prosperity,” the US embassy said in a statement.
If an appointment is going to be made, Zimbabwe’s envoy to South Africa and now party chairman Simon Khaya-Moyo is rumoured to be the favourite.
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