'UK's calamitous strategy' led to Mnangagwa's downfall, says Oxford University Lecturer

"There are several reasons why Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe fired his Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa on 6 November. Many were likely to do with ZANU-PF infighting over who will eventually succeed the 93-year-old leader. But one external factor that contributed to Mugabe's decision was Mnangagwa's relationship with the UK," wrote Blessing Miles Tendi, Zimeye Opinion.

Tendi is a known Robert Mugabe apologist and it shows. Mugabe has always sort scapegoats for all his failures and fcuk ups and blaming the British has been the norm. His apologist is going too far this time in blaming the British.

Mnangagwa was a marked man from the day he was appointed VP back in 2014. Grace Mugabe played a pivotal role in getting Joice Mujuru booted out of the party because Mujuru was set to be elected VP. Grace made it clear she wanted to be president and it was clear a popularly elected Mujuru would have killed Grace's chance of ever becoming VP and then President.

No sooner was Mujuru out of the door and Mnangagwa the appointed VP; that Grace set-off on a new war-footing and Mnangagwa was her target. She has finally succeeded managed to get him booted out.

"Since 2000, President Mugabe's most important international struggle has been against what he regards as British-led attempts at regime change in Zimbabwe. London has repeatedly demonised Mugabe for the violent seizure of white-owned commercial farms and human rights violations, while Mugabe has consistently hit back against the "imperialists". There may be signs of this relationship thawing, but in many ways, the past two decades of the president's political career have been defined by his fight with the UK," Tendi argued.

"This made Ambassador Laing's perceived backing of Mnangagwa profoundly problematic.

"Ambassador Laing made a fatal mistake by openly siding with the subordinate of a president who is extremely sensitive to perceived colonial intrusion. Moreover, the UK's support for Mnangagwa - a serial human rights violator - alienated domestic constituencies that seek to uphold the sanctity of human rights. In making its next calculations, a deeper understanding of Zimbabwean history and of the UK's past role in it would go a long way towards alleviating London's ongoing problems with Harare."

Of all the excuses proffered as to why Mnangagwa was booted out, this is certainly one of the most feeble. Mnangagwa is certainly "a serial human rights violator" but his blame-worthy can never exceed that of the man who presided over and benefited the most from all these human rights violations - Robert Mugabe.

Many people know by now that Robert Mugabe's instinctive knee-jerk reaction to many situations is to blame the whites, particularly the British, regardless how far-fetched the connection may be. This is born out of his deep-seated inferiority complex he, as a black person, feels towards whites. His irrational reaction of blaming the whites for everything and anything, like many irrational acts, has often boomeranged back on him. Close scrutiny has often showed there was no good cause for blaming the whites he ended with a lot of egg on his face and thus reinforce his intellectual inferiority.

In this case, are we to understand that Mugabe has dismissing his VP, nearly half his cabinet, a number of MPs, hundreds of senior party members, many civil servants, etc., etc. because the British Ambassador "openly sided with Mnangagwa" - whatever that means? And, just to underline how much he fears the British, does not have the guts to express his anger at the British for interfering in Zimbabwe's internal affairs much less have the Ambassador deported. If there was any truth in all this; then President Mugabe is even more paranoid than I ever imagined!

No! A more rational explanation is that Mnangagwa was booted out of the government and party because he, like Joice Mujuru before him, was in poll position to succeed Mugabe - a very dangerous position to be in when there is a ruthless shrew, Grace Mugabe, eyeing the same position.

As for this hen's teeth tale of the British playing a part in the political turmoil now engulfing Zanu PF and the nation as result of the firing of Mnangagwa; it is clear that it is not only Robert Mugabe who needs his deep-seated inferiority complex exorcised!