By Blessing Vava
THE toppling from power of the late former President Robert Mugabe by the army in November 2017 had signalled hope for many Zimbabweans, who saw his departure as an opportunity for a rebirth of a nation and a new politics after years of one-man rule characterised by an egoistic and opulent lifestyle and use of brute force to silence opponents.
Though
I did not agree on the manner in which Mugabe was removed ‑ a military coup ‑ I
was one of those millions of Zimbabweans who breathed fresh air seeing the tyrant’s
back.
Mugabe
ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years with an iron fist. His personality cult had become
bigger than the country itself and he called the shots. It was his way or no
one else’s and during his reign, he nurtured a system ‑ Mugabeism ‑ a culture
which has continued to haunt Zimbabweans even in his death.
However,
since his departure, the remnants of his rule ‑ character ‑ seems to have
morphed into his former personal assistant and successor, Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
During
his first days in office, Mnangagwa promised and assured Zimbabweans and the
world at large that Zimbabwe was on the course of a new path, a new
dispensation, a Second Republic.
In
earnest, all that has proved otherwise. In fact, the old has remained, nothing
has changed and Mnangagwa has proved to be a clone of his former boss. One
would be left wondering if Mugabe is gone for real because in Mnangagwa,
Mugabe seems to have resurrected and his “spirit” is now tormenting us.
In
this short piece I will attempt to highlight some of the traits/actions that
Mnangagwa has carried over from Mugabe, proving that he is not his own man but
rather, he has copied everything from Mugabe.
Annual holiday
As
had become the norm, Mugabe took the opportunity to go for a leave every year
around December and in early January. Mugabe would normally take his family to
the Far East on taxpayers money.
He
cared less about the dire economic situation in the country’, whose impact could
be felt, especially around the festive season and in January.
We
had become accustomed to that and this was also an opportunity for Mugabe to go
for his medical check-ups during this time and every year, the news would pilfer
that he had died.
Like
the current leadership, he despised local health facilities, opting for
treatment abroad, where they are better facilities, with his administration
having seen the dearth of local ones.
While
at it, it is not common in other countries for presidents to go on leave for
that long, worse in Zimbabwe’s case, a country facing a host of problems.
On
this one, Mnangagwa has refused to let this habit go. In typical fashion, he
has inherited it and has officially gone on leave, which runs until the end of January.
The
difference between the two though is that Mnangagwa is in the country, not
by choice though, but because he dreads being toppled through a coup should he leave
the country, as some quarters have alleged.
Shockingly,
Mnangagwa can afford to go on leave while the country is burning and a time Zimbabwe
needs leadership to deal with the socio-economic and political crises.
However,
the 77-year-old ruler seems not to care. He has a careless tongue which
recklessly unleashes tasteless jokes about the hardships people are
encountering every day, a clear reminder that the people of Zimbabwe are on
their own.
Rallies
Mugabe
was very fond of gatherings and took every opportunity to make sure that there
was a rally, and would use such platforms to dress down opponents and at times
pronounce government policy direction.
Even
with the slightest of developments locally and internationally, his party was
quick to organise rallies ‑ welcome back rallies at the airport, thank you
rallies, interface rallies, you name it and all these became synonymous during Mugabe’s
last days.
Unashamedly,
a congratulatory rally was organised at the airport upon his return after he
had assumed the rotational chairperson of the African Union.
Mnangagwa
has unashamedly continued in the same path: thank you rallies to celebrate his
2018 electoral victory were held in some provinces.
On
September 25, he organised what was dubbed the anti-sanctions rally, which was
a call to the United States and the West to remove sanctions imposed on
Zimbabwe.
And
unlike Mugabe who had the numbers, Mnangagwa has found the ball tough in this
game. Unlucky for him, he does not have the appeal and has no people. Maybe
it’s his boring and choking tonation and intonation when addressing crowds
which repels people.
Another
interesting observation is his earlier stance on the sanctions issue a month
after assuming office. A year later, Mnangagwa had resorted Mugabe’s
anti-sanctions narrative. So much of similarities with Mugabe.
Human rights abuses /Police brutality
Mnangagwa’s
short years in power have seen the worst in as far as police brutality, and
human rights abuses are concerned. Mugabe’s 37-year rule was characterised by
such: opposition supporters and any form of dissent were crushed using brute
force and excesses by the security forces.
For
Mugabe, it was rule-by-fear. Mnangagwa has been moving at a much faster rate
than his predecessor. The unleashing of soldiers to quell post-election
protests in August 2018 and anti-fuel price hike protests in January 2019 is
testimony to how Mnangagwa has used Mugabe’s handbook very well. Many would remember Mugabe's boasting of violence and declarations that his party was above everything, Mnangagwa has continued with that trajectory:
Suffice
to say, as if it’s a ritual, Mnangagwa has continued with regular trips to his
farm/rural home almost every Sunday, just as Mugabe did. The opulent lifestyle
has continued as evidenced by the hiring of private planes for international
trips, bloated delegations and, above all, politics of patronage which has seen
Mnangagwa’s making key appointments of people from his Karanga tribe. Mugabe's key appointments were dominated by his Zezuru kinsmen.
The patronage culture has escalated the levels of bootlicking President, something which characterised Mugabe’s reign. The more you praise the President, the more you get rewarded handsomely. From “vaMugabe muoffice” to “ED 2023, the more things change, the more they remain the same, nothing seems to change, we remain in a circle.
Blessing
Vuvuzela Vava is a blogger based in Chipinge, Zimbabwe, he can be contacted on
blessingvava@gmail.com
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