Mnangagwa recreates coup scenario

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is steering Zimbabwe into a political storm reminiscent of the volatile November 2017 period that led to former president Robert Mugabe's ousting, a senior war veterans leader has warned.

Speaking at a press conference in Harare yesterday, Andreas Ethan Mathibela, chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association, cautioned that Mnangagwa's handling of his succession struggle and his alleged plans to seek a third term beyond his 2028 constitutional limit risk igniting a national crisis.

"We regard the resolution by Zanu-PF to extend the term of office of the current administration as inconsistent with constitutional provisions and as an attempt to manage their succession challenges by creating a constitutional crisis," Mathibela stated.

Mathibela likened the current political climate to the events leading up to the military's 2017 Operation Restore Legacy, which removed Mugabe from power amid escalating tensions over succession.

"Operation Restore Legacy was an intervention in Zanu-PF where political temperatures were approaching a boiling point. It is now the same poor succession management that is threatening to engulf the nation," he said.

Mathibela's remarks followed a series of fiery statements from war veterans, widely seen as proxies of the military. Last week in Bulawayo and again in Harare on Sunday, the ex-combatants openly opposed Mnangagwa's bid for a third term.

Blessed Geza and Knox Chivero, prominent figures among the war veterans, issued a scathing critique of Mnangagwa's leadership. They accused him of corruption, nepotism, and promoting ethnic cronies, including his children and relatives, while neglecting national governance.

"Due to corruption, nepotism, and brazen clansmen politics, Mnangagwa must go," the war veterans declared, expressing their frustration with what they described as the president's governance failures.

The opposition to Mnangagwa's potential third term bid is gaining momentum as critics argue that any such move would violate Zimbabwe's constitution. Despite repeated denials of seeking a third term, Mnangagwa faces increasing scrutiny from both internal Zanu-PF factions and the broader public.

Observers fear that the growing dissent within Zanu-PF, coupled with the dissatisfaction among the military-aligned war veterans, could lead to a destabilizing power struggle.

As the political crisis deepens, the echoes of 2017 loom large, with Zimbabweans bracing for the potential consequences of unresolved succession battles and a polarized leadership.