The sun sets for Mugabe too
Surreal situation in Zimbabwe, with president finally cornered but anxiety about credentials of leadership to come
The more Zimbabweans reported they were going about their daily business on Wednesday as the army occupied Harare, the more unreal the momentous development of military capture of the state seemed.
It was inconceivable that President Robert Mugabe, entrenched in power for a long 37 years, was no longer rigidly and un-movably at the helm of this troubled country. He has been the only president more than one generation of Zimbabweans has known.
Zimbabwe commentator Alex Magaisa said the surreal events of the past 24 hours could be described as “the end of an error”.
Mugabe’s face, name and presence are everywhere. Most recently, Harare’s airport was named after him. He is imprinted on the memories and experiences of Zimbabweans for better but mostly for worse.
Zimbabweans are, while worried about what is to come, generally hopeful that change has at least been unlocked. The prospect of another term by Mugabe was untenable. The thought of his wife, Grace, ascending the throne was almost too much to bear — and for some, it has proved to be a bridge too far.
In fact, some credit Grace with having been the catalyst for her own downfall. In Zimbabwe’s bitter and longstanding factional battles for the presidency, her G40 faction was pitted against that of longtime Mugabe supporter and former soldier Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Lacoste faction. Of late, she has pushed her agenda hard and last week, Mugabe cut Mnangagwa loose, seemingly at Grace’s behest.
While Zimbabweans may have avoided the nightmare of a Grace Mugabe presidency, their current options seem limited.
The tragedy of this day that so many are celebrating is not only that it took so long to come, destroying much of Zimbabwe’s value in the process, but that there is no moral high ground to be found.
Mnangagwa, who played a pivotal role in the massacre of more than 20,000 Zimbabweans in the province of Matabeleland in the 1980s, which aimed to end an alleged anti-Mugabe uprising, has propped up the dictator for years, helping him rig elections and deal with opponents.
In his quest for power, he has reformed himself into a business-friendly prospect for president. He has courted companies, saying the right things about investment and economic development. Compared with Mugabe and others in the executive, he appeared to be practically visionary, offering some comfort in the economic hardships of the recent past.
But people have not forgotten that he, along with military generals, have been accused of siphoning off billions of dollars in diamond profits, which has contributed to the country’s liquidity crisis. They have also overseen the violent quelling of opposition in previous elections.
But with their backs against the wall, the economy tanking again and the prospect of a dynasty succession plan, accepting Mnangagwa, or another equally tainted successor, is a compromise worth making.
It is early days. The dust has not yet settled on the amazing turnaround in Zimbabwe. The role of Mugabe himself, still wily and scheming at 93, in this drama is also not clear.
As commentators wrestle with the notion of whether the troubled country has suffered an actual coup d’etat or just some version of one, the bigger issue is who is running the country now.
In some ways, it might not matter that much. Zimbabweans have largely started living past their dysfunctional government.
The events of the past days may have unlocked some change. But what Zimbabweans really want and need is a fresh pair of hands, not recycled leaders of the liberation struggle. That is probably a way off.