Mugabe trumps Mnangagwa

Zimbabweans have said former president Robert Mugabe was a relatively better dictator than incumbent Emerson Mnangagwa because although he plundered the country's resources, Mugabe did not pass the cost onto the masses like Mnangagwa.

 In a snap survey at the 60th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) which ended today 27 April in Bulawayo, a majority of Zimbabweans said they regretted having Mnangagwa replacing Mugabe.

"Mugabe and Mnangagwa both engineered the Gukurahundi genocide were more than 20 000 civilians were killed by armed soldiers mainly in Matabeleland. However, I have to say Mugabe was the better devil because he kept the cost of living almost constant since dollarisation in 2008. Bread was just $1 per loaf until his ouster in the November 2017 coup," said Daniel Shumba from Zvishavane.

He said under Mugabe kombi fares were $1 per trip for almost 10 years until his ouster. "Mugabe made sure we had bread and basics unlike Mnangagwa. Mnangagwa has officially been in power less than a year and bread is already pushing towards the $4 per loaf mark. The price of fuel and everything else has more than doubled but salaries have remained the same from the Mugabe era. Mugabe was way better in that sense," said Shumba.

Mary Muhambi from Victoria Falls said all Mnangagwa had done since coming into power was to use soldiers to kill civilians.

"He just loves making great shows of fake democracy with useless commissions on whose findings he will never act. There was no need for a commission of inquiry when soldiers shot civilians after elections in Harare last year. There is video footage. The soldier who fired was identified and he could have revealed who gave him orders. All Mnangagwa did was to spend millions of dollars of taxpayers' money on a sham commission and now he is passing the cost onto Zimbabweans through an avalanche of price hikes," said Muhambi.

Respondents said Mnangagwa has made a great show of democracy by consulting widely on a number of issues but at the end of the day he did what he wanted from the beginning anyway.

"Examples include the commission of inquiry into the August shootings where he never intended to act on the truth. We also have the selection of the Chief Justice and prosecutor general where his handpicked guys were selected in skewed processes. He pretended that he would prosecute people who looted State resources and the cases are quietly being swept under the carpet. I also doubt his sincerity on the Gukurahundi commission of enquiry," said Arthur Muhoni from Harare.

He added that when bread price went up to $3.50 per loaf, the government issued empty threats to bakers and it appeared as if the price would go down in a day or two but it has remained at $3.50 for about a month now.

"Bob was better than Mnangagwa in a million ways because he was authoritative and fixed market collusions to fleece consumers on the spot. Mnangagwa has been globetrotting splashing millions with absolutely nothing to show for it. Under his rule the cost of living has spiraled out of control. I thought I would never say this but Mugabe was better by far," said Muhoni.

Asked if they would want Mugabe to return to power, all respondents said no. Mavis Makoni from Harare did not mince her words on the subject.

"It would be the greatest tragedy of our time to have that ill-mannered uneducated secretary who was his wife (Grace Mugabe) to return and abuse the country, it's resources and citizens," said Makoni.