Zimbabwean First Lady Grace Mugabe has reportedly said that if her husband President Robert Mugabe, 92, dies, the ruling Zanu-PF party would "field his corpse (sic) to participate in elections".
According to media reports, Grace said this during a rally in Buhera.
"If Mugabe dies, we will field his corpse as a candidate for elections to prove that people love him," Grace has been quoted as saying.
This was not the first time that the first lady insinuated that the nonagenarian leader would rule from the grave.
Last year in May, Grace told tens of thousands of people gathered for a march in support of Mugabe that he will remain their leader even when he's "in the grave".
"You're irreplaceable," Grace was quoted as saying at the time.
In quotes translated by the official Herald newspaper online at the time, the first lady said Mugabe would "continue with his leadership even from the National Heroes Acre in event of death". The National Heroes Acre is a burial ground where state funerals take place.
Many saw Grace's utterances as her attempt to succeed Mugabe, after she also indicated last year that she was already "president" of the southern African country as she "plans and does everything" with the veteran leader.
This came as Zanu-PF was reportedly riddled with warring factions, as party leaders positioned themselves to eventually succeed the veteran leader.
-- News24