Mnangagwa was first class freedom fighter but State President, no!

Mnangagwa was a first class freedom fighter but he is the last person the nation wanted for State President. We are in serious trouble.

As an ex-combatant I had the chance to meet and work with both Teurai Ropa Joice Mujuru and Emmerson Mnangagwa. The former was a ‘simple' woman as President Mugabe said and the later was smart but as soldiers they were both brave and disciplined. We never questioned what kind of national leaders good soldiers like them would make, we assumed they would. Now we know better.

The 1980 elections was a vote to stop the war or to continue it because Zanu PF would not have accepted electoral defeat when the party had won the battle in field. It was not just that the party wanted power, at least not us the rank and file members; we really believed in freedom, liberty, rule of law, etc. and, most important of all, in socialism and that it would deliver mass prosperity.

Of course, even in those first few years after independence, corruption was already rearing its ugly head. Leaders like the late Solomon Mujuru took a lion's share of the funds meant to help ex-combatants, for example; Margaret Dongo talked about this recently, she was right. Putting aside these tell-tale signs of the problems ahead, we still believed Zanu PF would deliver mass prosperity.

The government's free education, free medical service, yearly wage increases for the workers, price controls on food and other commodities, etc. improved people's lives.  We all benefited.

Confidence in Zanu PF and its commitment to freedom, liberty and all the other values of the struggle were shaken during Gukurahundi years. Here was a grab for power and political domination regardless of the human cost. Many of the ex-combatants were shocked, some left government and the army; those who stayed and went along with what was happening seized control of the party, government and all the state institutions.

Gukurahundi was more than just a "moment of madness" as President Mugabe would have us believe; beside the mass murders and the scarred victims, the echoes of these tragic years still reverberate to this day. It ended all the nation's economic, moral and social inhibitions and innocence and it has been an effortless downhill descend into hell on all fronts.  There was no shame in being corrupt or in harassing and even murdering political opponents; the politicians were committing these crimes with the carelessness of a sinner who has committed worse, what is the murder of one or two more innocent people to one who has murdered thousands already!

After the Gukurahundi Mugabe and Zanu PF abandoned all pretence of delivering mass prosperity or caring about the ordinary people; all he and his fellow party leaders cared about was to hold on to political power at all cost. They wanted power for power's sake and because he who has the power has the key to all the nation's wealth and riches.

After Gukurahundi Zanu PF became a dictatorship and that was when the nation should, if it was able, removed the party from power.

 Many people have wondered why Zanu PF and President Mugabe have lasted all these 34 years as the ruling party and leader of the party respectively. This has happened because President Mugabe appointed who were committed to keeping Zanu PF in power even if it meant denying the people the freedom and liberty provided the party delivered mass prosperity. It was a case of the end justifying the means. Gukurahundi allowed Mugabe to fill all key positions in the government, army, etc. with hardliners, willing to keep Zanu PF in power at all cost. Mugabe has been popular with party members because he was seen as ruthless enough to keep the party in power, his economic competence and popularity with the people were irrelevant since the party had no intention of holding free elections.

The only time Zimbabwe had a real chance to end Mugabe and Zanu PF's strangle hold on power was if the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has implemented the democratic reforms. They did not and the opportunity was lost.

The purge of former Vice President Joice Mujuru and her supporters have ironed out the little democratic Zanu PF party members still had. She is a simple woman and no match to the smart and calculating new Vice President Mnangagwa.

Whilst the country's economic problems cries for meaningful political change which is only possible if Zanu PF was to loosen its political strangle hold, it is impossible to see VP Mnangagwa doing that. Instead of loosen the strangle hold his instinct will be to tighter his political grip and thus consolidate his hold on power.
 
Mnangagwa has waited to be President for too long to want to do anything else than to consolidate the Zanu PF dictatorship. It is for this reason Zimbabwe is in serious trouble!