| Bird Eye View with MsJoe
All the President's Barrack Men
The General and the Crocodile now the Vice President and President within six weeks of action.
There is no quarrel with loyalty and reward. Glaringly displayed, it was battle royal in intra-party politics and succession that rocked supreme in Zimbabwe. It had nary a thing to do with democracy.
Just as well, it bares the fickleness of humankind and the nature of transient politics that were as amusing as they were appalling - it depends on who you talk to on the spectacles and anxieties.
In rapid deployments from the Barracks to the Executive Branch
General Constantino Guvheya Dominic Nyikadzino Chiwenga, the recently retired Commander of the Zimbabwean Defence Force and Army on:
Nov. 13, 2017, thrusted the military into civilian space in execution of "Operation Restore Legacy," and held former President Mugabe in captivity. The Southern African Development Community, as the proverb goes, "heard no evil, saw no evil."
November 24, 2017: General Chiwenga looks (left) on after the swearing in of Emmerson Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe's new president.
| | | Mary Chiwenga, wife of General Chiwenga, soon to be Second Lady, dancing at the inauguration. |
December 18: Commander General Chiwenga retired, pending redeployment. "
General Chiwenga took over from the late Zimbabwean hero, General Vitalis Musungwa Gava Zvinavashe, who retired in 2003.
In his farewell speech, Gen Chiwenga indulged in joyful recollection of his journey with his "military family" since he enlisted in the army at the age of 17. He narrated how he left school in 1973 to join the liberation struggle and how President Mnangagwa superintended over the integration of Zanla and Zipra armies to form the Zimbabwe Defence Forces in 1980.
On his part, President Mnangagwa thanked the General for showing consistency and steadfastness during his tenure. "I, therefore, urge you to maintain the same loyalty, robustness and dedication to duty as you move to your next assignment which is quite prominent" the President said.
December 23, 2017: Less than one week later, the "next quite prominent position" was the appointment of General Chiwenga as Vice President of ZANU-PF and expectedly as one of the two Vice Presidents of Zimbabwe. The appointment was made by President Mnangagwa.
Critics lost no moment in registering their indignation. For example, former Zimbabwe's Minister of Higher Education, member of G40 and unforgiven, Professor Jonathan Moyo, after noting that he would be absent from the social media, tweeted: "With Chiwenga appointed VP, I take a break from my break to say the appointment confirms the 15 Nov military coup. President Mugabe was ousted not to benefit Zimbabwe but Chiwenga & Mnangagwa personally. Coup commanders & coup tribalists have been promoted to higher offices!"
Kembo Dugish Campbell Mohadi is the other appointed Vice President. He has served as the Minister of Defence, Security and War Veterans since November 2017. He was a Minister of State for National Security in the President's Office from 2015 to 2017 and Minister of Home Affairs from 2002 to 2015.
Men of the Barracks are on course. The first Cabinet announced brought in Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo as Foreign Minister and Air Marshal Perrance Shiri as Agriculture Minister and Land.
The Reward
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces cleared the rally at the historic Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield, Harare on Nov. 18, 2018.
It stated "Resonating with one of our operational thrusts relating to freedom of expression and movement, we have been approached by numerous Private Volunteer Organisations seeking to freely move and express their desires, one of such being a solidarity march planned for Harare Grounds, Highfield, on November 18."
This freedom was hard to explain as President Mugabe was under house arrest, setting off the chain of events.
Chris Mutsvangwa, the war veteran leader and lead organizer of the rally urged President Mugabe to urgently pack his bags."I hope by the time the multitude which is coming tomorrow has gathered, he would have made his decision of accepting the terms of quickly leaving the country.
"If he does not, then we will settle the scores tomorrow. There is no constituency in Zimbabwe more sovereign than the people of Zimbabwe and this is the constituency which Sadc will respect because their decision on the ground is final," said Cde Mutsvangwa. He then promised to unleash mob action if President Mugabe dragged his feet and not depart as warned.
For his efforts in the putsch, Comrade Mutsvangwa was initially appointed as Minister of Communication. There is a limit on the number of Cabinet Members who are not Members of Parliament. After an outcry on this count, Mutsvangwa was appointed as Special Advisor to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
The rally was also a mixture of emotional jamboree and spiritual confusion. In an instance, both the white former landowner and black landowner aspirant prayed together and feverishly in open air. One wants the land back or be paid and the other wants the land with no money to pay.
Even if the British idea of "willing seller and willing buyer" in the Lancaster House Agreement, which was the basis of Zimbabwe's independence, can be fulfilled by religiosity, the transaction will need cash on earth.
Perilous Slope: Recipe for Anarchy AU AGENDA 2063: ASPIRATION 3 An Africa of Good Governance, Democracy, Respect for Human Rights, Justice and the Rule of Law | Goal 11
Democratic values, practices, universal principles of human rights, justice and the rule of law entrenched |
One thing is obvious; the ZANU-PF-Military machination that led to former President Mugabe's departure did not fit into the Zimbabwean constitution or AU Goals. Whether you like him or not, keep the emotions aside and be guided by the constitution as the arbiter of reason.
Normalcy dictates, and the constitution bears witness, that the military does not militarize the presidency and with armored tanks in streets to protect the occupant of the office from perceived mental decline or thieves around him. These are jobs for psychiatrists, the legislature, the police and court.
The South African Development Community and the African Union fell short of clear principle where the gap could not have happened in ECOWAS (West Africa) that has displayed the willingness to stamp out electoral truncation or degeneracy.
Based on party rules, ZANU-PF had the right to recall former President Mugabe or impeach him without military-assisted "democracy." By any name, it was a military coup. If copy cats unfold across Africa, the African Union will be presiding over a basket case continent.
Balancing Act
Former President Mugabe is currently in Singapore for routine medical check-up paid by the government. President Mnangagwa, in his visit to South Africa, assured President Jacob Zuma that former President Mugabe is well taken of. Both referred to him as the "Father of the Nation." Mugabe's birthday, February 21st, was declared a public holiday after he left office.
These gestures buy credit with those who hold Mugabe in high esteem but wanted him to retire and treated with dignity. The Grand Old Man is due his place. Apparently, the current President is a wiseman against the goading of the press and ax grinders.
President Mnangagwa ordered that the land be given back to a white farmer, Robert Smart, who was forcefully evicted from his Lesbury Estate farm in the Eastern Manicaland province by then-Governor Mandi Chimene in a particularly highly publicized case. This undercuts a card of a confused opposition, stealing their thunder.
The Crocodile is proving to be wily master in the political chess game. He can try to appease every faction to effect a winning supermajority in the 2018 elections.
God Save Africa! Long Live Africa!
|
No comments:
Post a Comment