The country’s second executive President Emmerson Mnangwagwa should fulfill his election promises urgently or risks being booted out the “Robert Mugabe” style as his deputy Constantino Chiwenga is reportedly determined to leave no stone unturned to take the top Zimbabwe job.
Almost a year after assuming office, millions of Zimbabweans are in reality living in more extreme poverty than they were during former president’s era.
This leaves Mnangagwa at a compromising position, making him very unpopular with people whom he had tried to give a glimpse of hope, not to mention his backyard challenges within Zanu PF stewards and army ranks who feel betrayed especially after playing a critical role to catapult him into office.
Lest Mnangagwa should be fooled by Chiwenga’s remarks at their recent first provincial thank you rally in Zvimba, that he is solely behind him and no divisions exist between the two as being reported by the fourth estate, he should quickly remember his last days with Mugabe.
Coincidentally the Zvimba celebrations were held on the very same day Mnangagwa assumed office last year.
Even a madman can tell that Mnangagwa remained loyal to his former boss Mugabe to the extent that he was fired three days after they both attended the same rally in Bulawayo, so Chiwenga’s rant that he is solely behind Mnangagwa should not be taken too seriously at least with a sane human being.
Chiwenga unlike him Mnangagwa is a man of action and less talk, so with a myriad of challenges the country is facing it is likely that another soft coup may easily be accepted by the masses.
According to the Standard, the flurry of endorsements of Mnangagwa by various party organs as the Zanu PF presidential candidate for 2023 ahead of the Party’s Annual People’s Conference is an indication that Chiwenga’s influence has been curbed.
A source with knowledge of the goings-on within the party told the Standard that: “In public, they might want to give the impression that they are united, but a lot of things are happening in the background.
“Mnangagwa’s backers are making sure that Chiwenga’s influence in both government and party is whittled àdown.
“This is why there is a rush to endorse the president as the party’s presidential candidate in 2023 only three months after the elections. This is being done to ensure Chiwenga will not have any chance.
“Chiwenga’s supporters are now feeling betrayed. They think Mnangagwa would not have been president without the retired general.
“They are bitter that Chiwenga and most of those loyal to him are being sidelined by a clique close to Mnangagwa led by his relatives and allies.
“They also think Mnangagwa has been captured and is betraying some of the agreements made when he was made the leader.
“They are bitter that the security establishments are now led by people from mostly Midlands, the army and Central Intelligence Organisation, and there are plots to have one from Masvingo to take over the police force.”
