When President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over power from former President Robert Mugabe, through a military coup, he inherited everything including a very cruel system, and up to now he is failing to shake off the ghost.
Mnangagwa is currently using the same system, though putting new faces, while purging those who are either aligned to former president or his deputy Constantino Chiwenga.
Many have wondered as to why, the Mugabeisim is thriving even after his departure. Asked, one analyst had this to say; “The Mugabeisim system will be hard to dismantle, it would survive even if he was to die. Not even Mnangagwa can destroy it.”
“While in power, Mugabe planted his men, the Central Intelligence Operatives (CIOs) everywhere, some of them only shifted allegiance to the new leader, while some others fell from grace when Mnangagwa took over.”
Mugabe’s system was characterized by state capture of institutions, both public and private, as well as the social spectrum.
Mugabe himself once exposed his state capture when he confessed that he had CIOs everywhere spying on citizens, these were allegedly behind all state tortures and disappearances of those who criticised Mugabe’s rule.
While burying national hero and CIO boss Menard Muzariri sometime in 2016, Mugabe warned the citizens; “My boys are everywhere and are watching you.”
Mugabe used different machinations to deal with critics, more so dirty tactics to deal with political opponents, when he failed to defeat the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, through the ballot, Mugabe went as far as trying to use all the tricks in the book.
For many, the treasonous allegations involving Ari Ben Menashe come to mind. Under this plan, Mugabe used state apparatus and tried to nail down Tsvangirai under trumped charges that he wanted to overthrow a constitutional government.
Years down the line, Mugabe’s party again tries to use the same system to sink Tsvangirai’s successor Nelson Chamisa under a rape charge which has since been withdrawn. The fact that the accuser has been identified as a wife to a CIO working abroad as a diplomat, has further exposed the regime’s tricks and dirty tactics ‘if you can’t beat him by the ballot, persecute him.’
Political analyst Elder Mabhunu believes the Mugabeisim system will not die anytime soon, more so not under any ZANU-PF leadership, which is characterised by fear, bootlicking, and dirty tactics.
He says currently Mnangagwa wants to politically finish off Chamisa from two fronts.
“Mnangagwa is afraid of the young man, he wants to sink Chamisa either by sponsoring a challenger for him in the forthcoming congress, or by having him jailed for the so-called rape charge.
“This is similar to how Mugabe wanted to jail Tsvangirai for treasonous allegations that he wanted to overthrow a democratically elected government,” he says.
Mabhunu adds that Mnangagwa’s government was banking on the fact that rape is a very serious offence, just as good as a treason , and had Chamisa been convicted, that was going to be an end for him.
“While Mugabe wanted a treason charge for Tsvangirai, Mnangagwa’s regime also wanted a very serious one for Chamisa, that would sink him for good,” adds Mabhunu.
