Is Grace Mugabe set to be the next ruler of Zimbabwe?

Robert Mugabe's second wife, Grace, could be set to take over as president of Zimbabwe after being given a prominent role within the country's ruling party, a move that has fuelled speculation that she is being groomed as her husband's successor.

The 49-year-old was recently appointed secretary of the ruling Zanu PF's Women's League, her first step into frontline politics.

With little prior political experience, Grace's appointment has led the BBC's Africa correspondent Andrew Harding to speculate about the creation of a Mugabe dynasty.

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Harding argues that Grace's entry into the political arena could be a clear indication that "here is a man who, after three decades in power, can trust no-one outside his immediate family".

Grace "will be the next president of Zanu PF when Mugabe goes", Tendai Biti, MP for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change told the Daily Telegraph, suggesting that this has always been part of the 90-year old leader's plan.

Talk of a takeover was echoed by Simba Makoni, a former Zanu PF minister who stood against Mugabe in the 2008 elections. "Grace is poised to lead the Women's League. And my hunch is she is not going to end there, realising how easy it has been for her to get to there in such a short time," he said.

Nicknamed Gucci Grace and dis-Grace by those critical of her lavish shopping sprees, Mugabe's former secretary is not well liked in the country. A highly controversial figure, she once punched a British journalist in Hong Kong and recently received a "mysterious" doctorate from the University of Zimbabwe, just months after enrolling.

This has led some to express scepticism about her future in Zimbabwean politics. "Grace Mugabe is unpopular in the country and disliked by senior members of the party," said Piers Pigou, an expert in Zimbabwean affairs with the International Crisis Group. He told the Telegraph: "She is tolerated but she has never demonstrated any political acumen or vision."

Others have suggested that Grace is simply being used as a political pawn by one faction of the party, and poses no real threat. "It's very easy to explain." said veteran political commentator Ibbo Mandaza. "She's been brought in as a means to stop [vice president] Joyce Mujuru by any means."

Another observer, Vince Musewe, told The Guardian. "To me, Grace is just a pawn. There's no way she's going to be anything after Mugabe dies... She's not educated; she does not understand the complexities of taking Zimbabwe forward. She's part of the elite and there's absolutely no way the security guys can accept her being president. She doesn't have the gravitas to lead Zimbabwe."