But after President Mugabe fired his vice president earlier this month, other officials were afraid he was paving the way for his wife, Grace Mugabe, to take over.
There is no need for a precise timetable today, but in my view we should aim to have a new Prime Minister in place by the start of the Conservative party conference in October.
Voters in Panama will go to the polls shortly to elect a successor to President Juan Carlos Varela, who is not allowed to stand for a second term in office.
Many have pointed the finger at the obvious suspect, her stepson, Tuthmosis III, or possibly his son and successor, Amenhotep II (or even both of them).