By Ambassador Akinkuolie Rasheed
THE long reign of President Robert Mugabe finally came to an abrupt end with his resignation on November 21. The beginning of the end started on the November 6, when Mugabe fired his first Vice President, Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa.
This was expected to be followed by purges of senior officials of the government, especially the war veterans who fought and liberated Zimbabwe from the racist Ian Smith regime in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).
After his dismissal, Emmerson Mnangagwa immediately fled to South Africa. Mrs Joyce Muturu, his predecessor as first Vice President from 2004-2014 and veteran combatant, was also in like manner summarily dismissed.
There were wild rumors that the former First Lady of Zimbabwe, Mrs Grace Mugabe, may imminently be sworn in as one of two Vice Presidents, thus paving the way for her to succeed her husband.
The loyalty of the military to the government of Zimbabwe had been unflinching and openly expressed. However, the prospects of Mrs. Mugabe ruling the country was considered to be unacceptable and a joke taken too far. The intervention of the military, therefore, became necessary, not out of disloyalty to President Mugabe per se, but against his wife whose extreme ambition to succeed her husband had created divisions at the top echelon of the political and military elite.
Mrs Mugabe is capricious, extravagant and had on occasions been involved in public brawls, negative attributes which render her unfit to rule a society of educated, civilised and enlightened people like Zimbabwe
Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa, now President, was a veteran liberation fighter and at different times, Minister of Finance, Defence, Justice and Head of Intelligence Services. He had also paid his dues in prison during the racist apartheid regime in Rhodesia, the colonial name of Zimbabwe.
Mr. Mnangagwa had been loyal to President Mugabe at critical times and criticized for being high handed in repressing opposition groups and brutalizing opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, after the 2008 election.
At 93, Mugabe was edging towards the end of his political life, either through the normal course of nature or through what happened on November 21. The recent errors of judgement should be excused on account of his advanced age. Although still witty, and a good entertainer at international conferences with his wisecracks, which will be missed, his body and mind were already frail and as such, prone to manipulation.
The Armed Forces of Zimbabwe should be commended for their professionalism in handling this crisis with decency, which at the end allowed the rule of law and the constitution to take its course.
This is a good example which other military formations in Africa should emulate to the extent that it has no place in governance and must be subjected to civil authority in all circumstances. The Army of Zimbabwe must, however, continue to maintain its neutral political position, remain disciplined and must not intimidate, threaten and overawe the civil authority or constitute itself as a parallel government in the country.
Zimbabwe has a vibrant opposition and the ruling ZANU-PF Party will not have an easy ride at the 2018 general election. The high level of maturity demonstrated so far by the people, Army and Parliament of Zimbabwe should not be marred by a witch-hunt, and by exacting revenge on the family and supporters of Mugabe.
The old man must be accorded full respect, and all the dignity he deserves. When his time shall come to join his first wife Sally in the hereafter, his life and times should be celebrated by the people of Zimbabwe and the African community for his contributions to the liberation of his people.
The immediate concerns of interim President Mnangagwa should be to unite the people, Shonas and Ndebeles alike, heal the painful wounds of the past, revamp the economy and navigate through the contentious land reforms.
Ambassador Rasheed, Director of Trade and Investment in Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs writes via akinkuolie. [email protected]