The habit of being a dictator is quite unusual. It’s really very difficult for a dictator to hand over his powers to others. That’s why a 93-year-old president tried hard to make his 52-year-old wife the vice president of his country. Such a move would have helped him enjoy the power for long. (Similarly) if the Armed Forces enjoy the taste of power, they don’t want to hand it over to the people.
Currently, Zimbabwe is facing these two problems. President Robert Mugabe recently sacked Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as he planned to replace him with his wife, Grace. However, Mogabe’s move prompted the Zimbabwean Army chief to deploy troops and tanks in major places across the country. Army Chief General Constantine Chiwenga also announced that he would take all the necessary steps to stabilise the political situation in the African nation.

Robert & Grace Mugabe

The seizure of a state by the military or other elites within the state apparatus is called coup d’état. Interestingly, the ‘civilised’ world has never recognised the two words and the African Union (AU) is no exception. In fact, both the Zimbabwean Army and the AU are using the term “military correction”. However, the Army’s goal remains the same: the removal of President Mugabe from power. But the job was not so easy. The Army knows that if the world considers the ongoing events in Zimbabwe as a military coup, then the UN and other international organisations will refuse to recognise the country.
Since Mugabe’s own party, Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), was no longer interested in his leadership, the removal of the president became inevitable. On November 21, the world’s oldest head of the state and one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders resigned after ruling the country for 37 years. He sent a letter to the MPs, informing them that he was quitting with immediate effect for “the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and the need for a peaceful transfer of power”.
However, it’s not the end. Some senior members of the ZANU-PF still consider Mugabe as their leader. So, the Army will have to take ‘action’ against them. On November 17, President Mugabe made his first public appearance since the apparent ‘coup’ as he turned up at a graduation ceremony of the University of Zimbabwe. Wearing an academic gown and mortar board, the veteran leader was cheered by the crowd as he opened the event. It shows that he still has his base of support that might encourage him to make a political comeback.

Emmerson Mnangagwa

The Army will have to move slowly. Mnangagwa is the Army’s favourite leader. So, the Army decided to make him president through a coup. Now, the military realises that the coup may endanger the country’s future. It’s also not possible for the Armed Forces to backtrack.
Right now, Zimbabwe – once among sub-Saharan Africa’s most prosperous and promising states – is gearing up for the post-Mugabe era. Of course, the world will closely monitor the political transition, as Mnangagwa – the enforcer of some of Mugabe’s most ruthless policies – is all set to take charge.
Despite all uncertainties, it seems obvious to the people of Zimbabwe and places related that they will have to accept an authoritarian ruler – either Mugabe or Mnangagwa.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das