2019: Mnangagwa’s moment of truth beckons

The fever that gripped the nation when the election results for the 2018 elections produced a disputed outcome has died down. As reality begins to sink in, President Emmerson Mnangagwa administration is at sixes and sevens as it tries to rescue the economy from an abyss of turmoil and deterioration. The economy has continued to be in free fall since the elections with the cost of basic commodities spiraling compounded by acute fuel shortages .The January 2019 job action by proved to be the final provocation of the administration.Indeed,the government responded by deploying the military whose conduct in controlling the demonstration jeopardized Mnangagwa’s re-engagements efforts particularly with Western powers. Video footage of gross human rights abuses have started to filter weeks after the infamous shutting down of internet by the government. All this evidence has come just at the wrong time as there was traction on the international scene as some countries had commended the Mnangagwa’s administration for granting liberties such as the right to demonstrate and freedom of speech.

While the administration has somewhat managed to project itself as a listening government by deploying party cadres enmasse on social media who defend government policy to the tooth, the move has been blighted by a lot of inconsistency within government. The disharmony and lack of cohesion within ZANU PF has been demonstrated by discord among ZANU PF members especially on social media. The discord is even serious to the extent that at one time Mnangagwa distanced himself from a comment on his twitter account where he was calling for an inclusive dialogue. His spokesperson, George Charamba even warned citizens not to “believe everything that which is coming through” the twitter account. The truth however, is that ever since Mnangagwa took over, the country has been on an effortless descend into chaos on all fronts.

What happened to the Mega deals?

After usurping power from former President, Robert Mugabe, the state media went into overdrive, misinforming citizens that the ailing economy was on a rebound after ED had signed a series of mega deals .To date, none of those “mega deals” have injected the much needed oxygen into the comatose economy. Alas the state media has not stopped its propaganda agenda of churning out information to the effect that Mnangagwa has secured several rescue packages for the ailing economy. Whatever rescue package the new administration might secure, a lot of hurdles such as corruption will always stand in the way. But all this is another matter, another story for another day. Today I am not discussing this.

Fare thee well Re-engagement?

During a recent interview with France 24, President Mnangagwa all but admitted that he is still keen on reengaging with the West. When he was quizzed if Western powers were responsible for the recent demonstrations that rocked the country, Mnangagwa highlighted that he has never at any point accused any western power of sponsoring demonstrations. He only indicated that he has opted to use silent diplomacy to address what he felt was a foreign interference by submitting names and passport number of individuals supposedly from Western countries to their respective embassies in Zimbabwe. While this might appear simplistic, it however exposes Mnangagwa’s desperation to continue to engage with the West.

All these desperate attempts to try to lure capital have been dealt a heavy blow by the heavy handedness of security forces during the demonstrations that rocked the country in January 2019. The January 2019 disturbances add to the yet unresolved 1 August 2018 shootings where soldiers gunned down 6 civilians during a demonstration over the delay in the announcement of the July 2018 Presidential results. With calls in the United Kingdom growing louder each passing day over the need to deny Zimbabwe a swift readmission into the Commonwealth, the truth is finally beginning to sink for the new administration that it will take more than mere slogans to garner international support.

To Tango or not to?

There seems to be an internal conflict within ZANU PF.Firstly, the prospect for reengaging with the West is lucrative as it can open up more avenues for capital. However, such an opportunity has preconditions that the militarized administration cannot swallow. Some of those reforms include political freedoms such as observing the rule of law and free speech. In pursuit of such reforms, the government has dismally failed as evidenced by the unfortunate incidence of 1 August 2018 and the January 2019 violent military clampdown of opposition activists and Civil Society leaders. Secondly, there is another group in ZANU PF which doubts the West’s willingness to reengage and has already admitted that they have scuttled efforts to have sanctions lifted. This group is made of hardliners who are bent on retaining power at all costs and are less worried by the preconditions for re-engagement.

In the final analysis, 2019 will be decisive for Mnangagwa as the truth has started to slowly sink in. However, whatever choice Mnangagwa makes will not be in the interest of citizens but on his own parochial interests of retaining power and control of his party, ZANU PF.

Rawlings Magede writes here in his personal capacity.vamagede@gmail.com