Zimbabwe's Mugabe tightens grip on party, to choose successor

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe addresses supporters outside his ZANU PF party headquarters in Harare, October 30,2014. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe has changed the constitution of his ruling ZANU-PF party to allow him to directly appoint his deputies, giving the 90-year-old sole power to anoint his successor, party sources said on Sunday.

Until now Mugabe and his two ZANU-PF deputies have been elected by members from the country's 10 regions. The deputies automatically took up the same posts in government.