HARARE
–
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
cancelled
his
trip
to
New
York
this
week
for
the
annual
United
Nations
General
Assembly,
his
spokesman
said
because
of
a
“dense
programme
in
the
last
quarter
of
2024.”
The
unprecedented
development,
the
first
time
Mnangagwa
will
not
address
the
UN
Assembly
since
taking
power
in
2017,
comes
amid
growing
tensions
in
his
Zanu
PF
party
over
extending
his
second
and
final
term,
and
safety
concerns
after
a
string
of
incidents
including
Sunday’s
accident
involving
his
helicopter
in
Masvingo.
George
Charamba
issued
a
statement
shortly
after
midday
on
Friday
announcing
Mnangagwa’s
decision
to
skip
the
summit
following
enquiries
from
ZimLive.
Mnangagwa’s
cancellation
of
the
New
York
trip
must
have
been
“abrupt,”
a
source
said,
because
“a
large
advance
party
of
over
30
people
is
already
in
New
York,
including
state
media
journalists.”
Charamba
said
foreign
minister
Fredrick
Shava
would
read
Mnangagwa’s
speech
at
the
UN.
The
only
time
Mnangagwa
has
not
gone
to
the
annual
summit
since
becoming
president
was
in
2020
and
2021
during
the
Covid-19
health
emergency
which
forced
leaders
to
record
speeches
from
their
countries,
which
were
then
beamed
to
the
assembly.
Earlier
on
Friday,
sources
had
told
ZimLive
that
Mnangagwa,
who
turned
82
last
week,
would
stay
in
the
country
because
paranoia
among
his
aides
and
loyalists
was
“running
rampant.”
Mnangagwa
survived
an
assassination
attempt
when
a
bomb
went
off
at
White
City
Stadium
in
2018,
and
some
in
his
circle
fear
Sunday’s
crash
of
his
helicopter
–
even
though
he
was
not
onboard
–
was
no
an
accident.
There
have
been
other
incidents
in
recent
months
–
a
break-in
at
his
son’s
home,
a
break-in
at
his
nephew’s
government
office,
a
bomb
hoax
at
Victoria
Falls
International
Airport
which
forced
his
plane
to
return
to
Harare
midflight
and
the
presence
of
lasers
near
the
Robert
Gabriel
Mugabe
International
Airport
which
targeted
his
pilots
as
they
prepared
to
land
from
a
trip
to
Mozambique.
This
has
happened
as
Mnangagwa’s
loyalists
publicly
urge
him
to
change
the
constitution
and
extend
his
term
or
run
for
office
again.
The
push
has
divided
the
party
and
angered
supporters
of
his
ambitious
deputy
Constantino
Chiwenga,
seen
by
many
as
Mnangagwa’s
likely
successor
when
his
second
and
final
term
runs
out
in
2028.
Referring
to
the
Zanu
PF
leadership,
an
insider
said:
“It’s
very
hot
in
the
cockpit.
Relations
are
frayed
and
the
mistrust
is
deep.
We
are
fast
approaching
a
national
crisis.”