Robert mugabe had been out of power for nearly two years when he died on September 6th (see Obituary). He had been far away and sick since April, so you might think his death would not rattle his successor as president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa. But bones have a way of making themselves felt. In the past few months Zimbabwe has fallen into a pit of despond that is as deep as it was during a horrendous period in 2008 when inflation reached world-record levels and shelves in the shops went bare. Rumours of rancour and plots in Zanu-pf, the ruling party, especially among the generals, are flying thick and fast. Even the arrangements for the dead despot's funeral have been causing confusion, consternation and bad blood.
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