It has come to my attention that there were some readers who didn't get the joke in the meme that accompanied my post on Comrade Bob's dismissal, just a few weeks ago, from the position of World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador created for him by the incredibly naive (or corrupt?) Chair of that "organization". To understand both that and the last line of the first paragraph, be advised that in chiShona, the main native language of Zimbabwe, "Hendiende!" means "I will not go!"
"I will not go!" was Comrade Mugabe's attitude even after his own ZANU-PF party fired him as its President following a military quasi-coup late last week. On Friday he read, rather haltingly, a statement saying he would "preside" (as a president does) over a party congress scheduled for next month. On Sunday he called a cabinet meeting for Tuesday morning, and "presided" over the handful of ministers who turned up. Meanwhile, on Monday, his own party launched in Zimbabwe's Parliament a motion to impeach him, which was being debated today when he finally said that he would go, after all.
Many observers, including Walt -- and let me remind you that I spent several years in the land of bambazonke -- assumed that there were only two ways Robert Mugabe would be dislodged from his position. Either he would die in his bed or in some other location, due to a severe case of lead poisoning. It was only a question of which would come first. His resigning in writing may reflect the way the world has changed in the 21st century. Yes, even Africa. There was no storming of State House, no being hung upside down from a lamppost, no execution by firing squad, not even a quiet private hanging. The coup was bloodless and, apart from the singing and dancing in the streets, quiet.
Does this mean that the povo -- the poor people of Zimbabwe -- can expect to see some improvement in their lives? Under Comrade Bob, the former Rhodesia went from being Africa's breadbasket to another African basket case. His legacy is a standard of living, an average life expectancy and an average annual income all lower than they were in the bad old days of "white settler rule".He will be remembered for the kleptocracy which impoverished his people, for the Gukurahundi massacres in Matabeleland in the 1980s, for the farm invasions of the 1990s and later, and for the brutal repression of the opposition any time it seemed at all close to winning an election.
Mr Mugabe's place is like to be taken by Emmerson Mnangagwa, aka ED Mnangagwa [no relation! Ed.], the vice-president whom Comrade Bob purported to fire, earlier this month, to pave the way for the succession of his wife, Gucci Grace. As Western governments rush to congratulate Zimbabwe on its peaceful transition, they forget that Comrade ED was deeply involved in most of those crimes.
Mr Mnangagwa is known as "The Crocodile", for his association with a group of black nationalist rebels in the early days of the fight against white rule. Others say the appellation stems from his power, ruthlessness and ability to survive the tough, sometimes aggressive world of African politics. We all know how crocodiles deal with their enemies, right?
The 75-year-old was a loyal henchman to Comrade Bob for years, gaining a reputation for being astute, ruthless and effective. He was was one of those who helped the dictator cling to power when, at times, it seemed as if his grip might be weakening. As Zimbabwe's Minister for National Security, he became notorious for overseeing the Gukurahundi -- the brutal 1983 campaign against supporters of Comrade Mugabe's rival, Joshua Nkomo. Between 10,000 and 20,000 Ndebele people are estimated to have died in Matabeleland during what was really a tribal war. A good deal of the killing was done by the the Zimbabwe army's Fifth Brigade, equipped and trained by North Korea.
Since then, Comrade ED has kept himself busy in various government positions, most recently as one of two vice presidents. Nor has he been averse to accepting the rewards of his hard work. He is rumoured to have amassed a considerable fortune and been involved in the development (read: looting) of the Marange diamond fields, in which something like 15 billion dollars is said to have disappeared. Mr Mnangagwa was targeted by US sanctions in the early 2000s, for undermining democratic development in Zimbabwe, and he was named in a United Nations investigation into exploitation of mineral resources in Congo.
A former UK foreign secretary told Sky News, "The negative is he's got a lousy record - he was involved in the very serious massacres in the Matabeleland a long, long time ago. His succession, if that's what happens, would be a continuation of the status quo.". Prominent Zimbabwean opposition politician David Coltart (a really decent human being) tweeted, "We have removed a tyrant but not yet a tyranny." Or, to put it the way they do in neighbouring Moçambique: a luta continua!
Further reading: "Poor Robert Mugabe", by Hannes Wessels, in Taki's Magazine, 17/11/17.
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