When President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa came to power through a military coup, Zimbabwe and the world at large was full of hope.
Most people, nations gave him a chance, to the extent that they entertained him to the point that they did not classify his ascendancy to the throne as a coup.
To further up people’s hopes in him, Mnangagwa literally promised to be the Messiah, adding that Zimbabwe was in safe hands under him.
He promised to unite the nation, deal with the Gukurahundi question, he promised freedom of speech, to respect human rights and most importantly to deal with corruption, in all these he scored zero.
For some Mnangagwa missed a number of opportunities to make Zimbabwe great.
His so-called ‘Second Republic’ has left many Zimbabweans disillusioned and wondering whether the current levels of intolerance, political exclusion and polarisation in the country are worth the sacrifices they made in facilitating the ‘transition’.
What emerges poignantly from the first few years of the ‘Second Republic’ in the office is that Zimbabweans’ expectations for political transformation, as well as for political inclusivity and national reconciliation, remain unfulfilled.
It appears that the ‘Second Republic’ is failing to take advantage of the political unity, hope and enthusiasm that was prevalent during the run-up and actual ouster of Robert Mugabe in November 2017 to foster meaningful national reconciliation and political unity.
“The Mnangagwa administration has lost a historic opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and, instead, has ramped up efforts to suppress human rights,” Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa once said.
“The cyclical nature of violence will continue until there is genuine political will to uphold human rights and end impunity. The Zimbabwean government must make genuine efforts to deal with the past injustices to ensure that history does not repeat itself.”
Farisè added: “The Mnangagwa administration has continued to misuse the law to crack down on human rights and on anybody who dares to voice a dissenting opinion.
“The enactment into law of the Amendment to the Criminal Code will invariably have a chilling effect on would-be dissenters, particularly given the hefty penalties it carries.”
“Under Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe is a polarized state amid an unyielding economy,” says political commentator Elder Mabhunu.
He calls for genuine dialogue.
Apparently, as things stand, others now took Mnangagwa for a ‘Biblical fake Christ’ who doesn’t stick to his words, and breaks own promises.
They now think the late former President Robert Mugabe was a Saint, surrounded by bad elements.
Yet others believe Mnangagwa is simply a Messiah who has only forgotten him mission.
Zwnews
