Does Kasukuwere possess the X-factor?

FOLLOWING a nasty fallout with his longterm trusted lieutenant Emmerson Mnangagwa, the late former president Robert Mugabe wielded the axe in a vicious fashion, sending the then 77-year-old scampering across the border and into South African exile.

While in hiding from what he described as “incessant threats on my person, life and family by those who have attempted before through various forms of elimination including poisoning,” Mnangagwa penned a long letter that spewed vitriol at his mentor.

It was inconceivable for anyone at that time to threaten Mugabe given the imperial power at his disposal.

Mnangagwa did not mince his words, telling Mugabe: “This party (Zanu PF) is not personal property for you and your wife to do as you please…I will go nowhere… You and your cohorts will instead leave”. This was a clear case of broken ranks.

Mnangagwa, who goes by the moniker, Ngwena (Crocodile) signed off the letter by advising Zimbabweans that he would soon return to lead them.

True to its word, the famed crocodile snapped on its adversaries and took over the reins of power.

Mnangagwa’s ascendency to the echelons of power saw some of his erstwhile comrades like former cabinet ministers and G40 kingpins Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Walter Mzembi skipping borders, retreating for safety.

Of all the G40 comrades now in exile, none of them has publicly expressed interest in re-joining mainstream politics except Saviour Kasukuwere, also known as Tyson, after the callous American boxing hall of famer, Mike Tyson.

At the tender age of 20, Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history and has since been described as one of the most intimidating men to have ever laced the gloves.

Like the legendary Tyson, Kasukuwere rarely backed down from a fight and was one of the most feared politicians during the Mugabe era. In fact he was regarded as the hardware of the system especially during the 2008 contested presidential elections.

He also decimated political rivals with utmost ruthlessness while some reports allege that he led and sponsored many terror gangs that operated in Mashonaland Central province during his stint as the youth league chairman.

A Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum report premised on an analysis of pre-election violence in Zimbabwe produced in 2000, named Kasukuwere as one of the leading perpetrators and sponsors of electoral violence against opposition MDC supporters.

One of Kasukuwere’s victims interviewed in the report recounts: “Kasukuwere took an iron bar and began hitting my windscreen. He broke through the window and then the bar hit me in the face and when I got out of the car he hit me in the eye. I have now lost an eye. He then went to the next car and with the others, they were hitting them...”

However, some now perceive him as the proverbial "Saviour" sent to deliver Zimbabwe from the political abyss.

In a statement reminiscent of the one Mnangagwa wrote in 2017, Kasukuwere launched a barefaced attack on the Mnangagwa administration.

“We all carry deep and painful wounds of the treatment that has been meted out by fellow comrades to many of us. At the centre of the conflict in the party today is the unjustified and callous victimisation that has happened since the November 17 (2017) coup,” Kasukuwere said.

Of particular interest, Kasukuwere, who has sworn to resurrect his stagnated political career on a Zanu PF ticket, concluded his statement in almost the same way Mnangagwa did his in 2017.

“Difficult decisions have to be made and, in the process, we should now consult wide and far on how to resolve this deadly conundrum. We are all living victims of our own system and this can't continue. When I engage, it's not because of weakness, but the strength to find a solution. I will not tire as I am acutely aware of the pain the majority live with. Someone should take the lead and search for a solution.”

The last sentence is particularly intriguing and highly suggestive while pertinent questions continue to emerge.

Is Kasukuwere throwing around empty threats meant to unsettle Zanu PF or like president Mnangagwa in 2017, is he carefully scheming his political comeback with the aid of some party insiders?

Will Mnangagwa consider re-admitting Kasukuwere, a G40 kingpin whose cabal has been described as being made up of “minnows who have no liberation credentials…individuals who have a proven record of treachery.”

In the event that Mnangagwa opens the door to Kasukuwere, which faction is likely to warm up to the former party commissar?

The ruling party has been involved in incessant factional fights since the Mugabe days and the cancer is not showing any signs of leaving.

In fact, the factionalism cancer is devouring the moral fabric of the party, turning comrades against each other. The recently held provincial elections were a clear testament of the cracks within the ruling party.

Some media outlets have hyped Kasukuwere’s possible return to the country’s mainstream politics suggesting that his influence is significantly causing tremors within the ruling party.

Political analyst Jethro Makumbe says it is highly unlikely that Kasukuwere will be part of Zanu PF again despite his concerted efforts.

“Kasukuwere has been plotting and planning to bulldoze his way back into Zanu-PF since the 2017 coup. He along the way formed the Tyson Wabantu Movement and recently he has been mobilising party structures through his foot soldiers within the party,” Makumbe said.

“The last Zanu-PF provincial elections are believed to have been won by a number of comrades loyal to the former commissar. However, his intentions to find his way into the party and flex his muscle from within were noticed and the statement by the party’s secretary for information Chris Mutsvangwa is testament to the fact that there is no space in the tent for Kasukuwere,” he added.

Political analyst Gibson Nyikadzino noted that Kasukuwere should understand that dynamics have changed and how the G40 played their politics is not sustainable in today's Zanu-PF.

“While Zanu PF under Mnangagwa has maintained an open-door policy to all renegades who have both been expelled or suspended for fanning factionalism since November 27, the institutional condition is key in rehabilitating people like Kasukuwere.

“Remember, he was once in Zimbabwe after 2017 after he had been saying he was scared of political persecution, to which nothing happened to him even as imagination or hallucination,” Nyikadzino said.

“Though he has credit as a former son of the party, Kasukuwere should understand that dynamics have changed and how the G40 played their politics is not sustainable into today's Zanu-PF.”

To Nyikadzino, Kasukuwere is not a significant player in the current ZanuPF hence his insinuation that he is able to mend things in the party is misplaced.

He therefore advised the firebrand Tyson to be humble if he harbours intentions of joining the ruling party noting that there are party members before him like Dzikamai Mavhaire, Edgar Tekere, and Didymus Mutasa whose influence was significant but in the end, they humbled themselves.

In political circles, Kasukuwere is believed to have the backing of a faction linked to vice-president Constantino Chiwenga and this clique views him as a worthy addition to their arsenal considering his vast political experience as a former youth leader and ex-party commissar. — Staff Writer.