A long armored personnel tank rolling around Harare has raised concerns – a brief moment – a military coup in Zimbabwe.
“What’s going on in Zimbabwe?” a person posted on social media. Another said: “This is a coup.”
Government spokesman Nick Mangwana quickly eased public fears and explained that the tanks were tested on a mid-February morning as part of a scheduled exercise to test equipment and “nothing to pay attention to.”
However, the endless chat and the ongoing speculation reveal a lot about the situation in the country.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has faced severe criticism for the first time since he became president in 2017, has called on him to step down for his first time before a regular military exercise.
The allegations raise memories of the leadership of the coup, which overthrew his predecessor, longtime leader Robert Mugabe.
He served as a revolutionary hero in 1980 and had been in power, ending decades of white minority rule. But his death was foreshadowed when veterans of the War of Independence withdraw their support for him in the 1970s.
This is a veteran and senior Zanu-PF member named Blessed Geza, also known as “Bombshell” who launched a verbal offensive against Mnangagwa.
He was angry when some in the party began to push for changes to the country’s laws to allow the president to seek a third term.
On a series of often-choosy press conferences, he repeatedly called on the 82-year-old president to remove or face to face.
“I have to apologize for helping him take office,” Geza said in a press conference about the president that aired on social media.
“Once he [Mnangagwa] He has the taste of power, escalating corruption, forgetting the people, and only remembering his family.
“Mnangagwa also surrendered to his wife and children state power. We sadly see history repeating itself. We cannot achieve this.”
Journalist blessed Mhlanga arrested last month for interviewing a bombshell [AFP]
Zanu -PF was angry at his “infaithful” remarks – which were later described as “treason” – forcing Bombshell to hide among his representatives, and he continued to mock him through social media, suggesting protests.
Police wanted on four charges, including vehicle theft, undermined the president’s mandate and incited public violence.
The blessed Mhlanga, a reporter who first interviewed Bombshell in November, was also arrested for transmitting information that caused violence.
Last year, during the Zanu-PF rally, Mnangagwa’s ambitions began to brew. The president is currently serving his second and final term, which expires in 2028.
Although Zimbabwe’s constitution limits the presidency to two five years, his supporters say the slogan “He will still be a leader in 2030” has begun to be published by his supporters.
They argued that he needed to continue his post to complete his “2030 Agenda” development plan because he did so well.
Then, at the Zanu-PF meeting in December, a motion was unanimously adopted, which did not specify a third term, but instead attempted to extend Mnangagwa’s current term to 2030.
Although Mnangagwa recently promised that he did intend to resign within three years, the influential Roman Catholic bishop has been involved.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Zimbabwe warned in a pastoral letter last week that the 2030 debate distracted from what really mattered – business closures, high unemployment, rampant corruption and economic policies that came at the expense of wealth.
Presidential spokesman George Charamba expressed disappointment at the clergy’s announcement and told the National Herald that the matter is now “dead”.
Nonetheless, Bombshell’s message seems to have landed. With the expulsion of Geza and some of its allies, this led to the removal of Zanu-PF.
However, political analyst Takura Zhangazha said the outbreak of Geza is unlikely to exacerbate the crowds his career.
Zimbabweans took to the streets to thank the army when Robert Mugabe was ousted [AFP]
He said people have less interest in this political glasses these days, with Zimbabweans (including opposition supporters, Zimbabweans) approved support for the coup – thanks to the military and war veterans.
He told the BBC: “Even Geza’s attempts to talk about corruption and workers’ dilemma – this will not cause people to be irritated, organized, mobilized. They no longer have this ability or interest.”
“I can assure you that there is no repetition of 2017 until 2028,” he said, adding that Zimbabweans feel they were used for the expulsion of Mugabe and will no longer bring out the Zanu-PF’s internal battle in the streets.
This is also because the entire political landscape is divided, including the weak opposition.
Mr Zhangazha said even war veterans do not represent a unified front.
Geza had previously been supported in the succession debate of 68-year-old former Army Chief Vice President Constantine Chiwenga, but other war veterans are known to support the 2030 agenda.
“You have a country where the economy is worsening. People can hardly afford a meal every day,” Source: Jameson Timba, Source Description: Head of the CCC faction, Image: Jameson Timba
Political analyst Alexander Rusero said it is important to understand the influence of veterans in Zimbabwe and Zanu-PF.
“They see themselves as caregivers, so you can’t expect their emotions,” he told the BBC.
However, he believes that Bombshell and other current complaints are prompted by self-deprecating rather than public interest.
“They feel like they’re being left out of the cake,” he told the BBC.
Mr Zhangazha agreed that those who show loyalty within the Council may benefit from things like tenders, government contracts, access to housing, land and agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seeds.
For Jameson Timba, the leader of the main opposition faction, the Citizen Change Union (CCC), all sums up the political situation in Zimbabwe.
“You have a country where the economy is worsening. People can hardly afford a meal a day,” he told the BBC.
“We have major supermarket chains that are closing,” he said, referring to the economic hardship facing Zimbabwe, one of the country’s largest retailers, who were forced to close other large branches with empty shelves.
Mr Zhangazha noted that the forecast for a fragile economy looks even more grim due to the consequences of the recent suspension of the United States Agency for International Development.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, former deputy of Mugabe, took over as Zimbabwe leader after the 2017 coup [Getty Images]
Timba is still recovering from her jail for five months, with most of the incarceration sitting on concrete floors, sharing a cell and toilet with 80 people.
He was arrested in June with more than 70 others for holding a barbecue at his private residence to commemorate the international dates of African children.
He told the BBC that his treatment – and the treatment of his detainees reflects crimes in opposition politics.
“The country faces challenges. Any leader or government that deserves salt will actually ask for early elections, check and determine if they still have the task of the people,” he said.
“Making the opposite joke essentially represents a joke [when] You are talking about extending your term. ”
However, it is rare to vote early.
For the moment, Bombshell is still hidden and the election is far away – but the inheritance debate will continue to cook.
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