Social Media in Africa: the new diversion tool for authoritarian regimes

28 March 2019 marked a year since Chad banned the use of social media. The internet blackout in the North- West African country came after a series of protests broke out restricting access to the internet in the face of mass popular and political movements. This is a new trend synonymous with most authoritarian regimes in Africa. The first two months of 2019 saw five African countries; Algeria, Zimbabwe, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan experiencing internet blackouts that were meant to thwart the mobilizing ability of social media. To date, Chad has continued with the blackout and this has crippled communication and retarded development in the north-central country. Perhaps the first considerable level of public attention on the impact of social media can be traced back to what is known or referred to as the Twitter Revolution that took place in Iran in June 2009.The Western news media were filled with reports of tech-savvy protestors using Twitter and other forms of new media to protest against the reelection of former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Back home, the ascendancy of President Emmerson Mnangagwa into the highest office in the land heralded a refreshing wave into Zimbabwe’s political arena. For the first time in the history of the country, a sitting President had a twitter account where he daily posts about government business. This was then followed by a massive exodus of Ministers and Legislators as they opened or reactivated long forgotten twitter accounts. All this was meant to encourage citizen participation in government processes as well as give real time feedback on how various government ministries were being run. This was a positive step given that recent statistics from Globalstats highlight that 18.43% and 41.47% of Zimbabweans are on Twitter and Facebook respectively hence this allowed citizens to interact, probe and highlight frustrations on the collapsing economy.

Has Social media helped democratize African countries?

Social media must be lauded as a platform that has enhanced citizen participation in the democratization of their communities and provided an avenue through which to vent emotions and frustrations. A cursory analysis of several countries however highlight that it has only served as a mass mobilization tool for uprisings and demonstrations. A good example is the way it was deployed in the fall of Sudanese President, Omar al Bashir .Several protestors posted live videos on the proceedings on the demonstrations against Bashir on social media platforms such as twitter just as a way of informing the outside world on the developments in Sudan. There is no doubt however as to the capacity of social media to mobilize masses. In 2010, in the Arab Springs, social media was massively deployed to mobilize and organize citizens in the ouster of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. The media in this context focused heavily on young protesters mobilizing in the streets in political opposition, smart phones in hand. Networks formed online were crucial in organizing core group of activists, specifically in Egypt. Civil society leaders in Arab countries emphasized the role of internet, mobile phones and social media in the protests. Since then, this wave on the use of social media to mobilize during protests has gained prominence and has even energized citizens under authoritarian rule such as Uganda to mobilize during protests. Robert Kyagulany (Boby Wine) the Ugandan opposition leader has so far intensified massive protests against Yoweri Museveni’s government despite being arrested numerous times by the regime. “Any citizens’ uprising in any part of the world inspires people that share the same plight,” he says. “What has happened in Sudan gives us so much confidence that we can face the military that is armed to the teeth. We are inspired to believe that we can now peacefully protest and raise our voices,” he said during a recent interview after developments in Sudan. How he hopes to draw lessons from Sudan particularly on how to deploy social media among his young followers in his People Power Movement remains to be seen.

Do authoritarian regimes take social media serious?

Despite the ability of social media to mobilize citizens to protest or register displeasure on various governance issues, in authoritarian regimes, the ruling elites’ use of social media only serves for political correctness and a diversion meant to distract citizens on critical issues. In today’s Africa several presidents including Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa among others are quite active on social media platforms such as twitter.

Back home in Zimbabwe, our own president has a twitter account where he regularly posts. What is however odd about conversations on the twitter account is his lack of response on issues raised by citizens. The twitter account only posts activities by the President but the president never responds to any issues raised on his platform despite the fact that he has in the past even conformed through a video that the twitter account was actually his. As if that was not enough, his spokesperson, George Charamba in recent months announced and warned citizens not to take content on the president twitter account serious as it doesn’t always reflect the president’s position on things. He even went on to say that people (maybe those who man the twitter account) were putting words into the president’s mouth through the account.

Such a confession however confirms the widely held view that for the new dispensation, social media is rather a detour meant to hoodwink citizens into believing that the regime is serious about using social media to better their participation in governance issues. The same can be said for Presidents from Uganda, Paul Biya from Cameroon and Chad’s Idriss Deby among others.

In the final analysis, there is no doubt as to the ability of social media as an effective tool to mobilize and conscientize citizens on critical issues.However,its use by authoritarian elites in Africa remains insincere and serves as a one-dimensional process that defeats the spirit of active citizen participation and engagement.

Rawlings Magede is a Development Practioner.He tweets at @rawmagede and is contactable on vamagede@gmail.com

Time running out for Healing and Reconciliation in Zimbabwe

Since the fall of Charles Taylor in 2003, successive governments in Liberia have failed to address the complex but yet fundamental issue of reconciliation. Former Liberian President Sir Leaf Johnson though touted as a woman who overcame the hurdles imposed by patriarchy, she failed however to initiate a conclusive wholesome healing and reconciliation process that would have helped to heal the country’s violent episodes of violence .She left the highest office on the African soil having set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) but throughout her tenure in office, no meaningful reconciliation took place. Liberia has a long history of violent conflicts that took place in the early 1990s that left hundreds of thousands dead. To date, Liberia is home to victims of such a violent past who live in abject poverty due to the failure of government to offer reparations or a form of restoration of livelihoods. Past conflicts in Liberia left trails of destruction including victims of sexual violence, orphans, amputees and the disabled. One common feature of all successive governments in Liberia including the current administration led by former footballer, George Weah is the presence of alleged perpetrators in government. Both Weah and Johnson have tactfully avoided the need for prosecution of perpetrators to past conflicts. Liberia today is a country in dire need of a just and wholesome healing and reconciliation process but what lacks is the political will to tackle such a contentious issue that has potential to split the country if it remains unmanaged. Remember Liberia, remember Africa!

Mugabe and his legacy of healing and reconciliation

Former President Robert Mugabe’s long reign came to an abrupt halt before any meaningful traction on the much needed healing and reconciliation could be realised. His insincerity on the need for healing and reconciliation is well summed up by his careless comments on Gukurahundi when he remarked that such mass murders and unimaginable dark epoch was “a moment of madness”. His trivial approach to issues of healing and reconciliation was breathtaking and under his government, the national trudged on in anticipation that he was going to change his approach. So difficult was Mugabe that he even scuttled efforts to have findings of the Dumbutshena and Chihambakwe commission on Gukurahundi published and argued that the findings could spark violence over past wrongs. The Dumbutshena and Chihambakwe commission was a inquiry that was set up by Mugabe’s government to investigate mass killings in Matebeleland and parts of Midlands provinces between 1981-1987.During the tenure of Mugabe’s reign various pressure groups tried but failed to force Mugabe to make public the findings of this commission or even to just make a public apology as a step that would initiate a wholesome healing and reconciliation process. Just like in Liberia and other African countries that have episodes of conflicts, the presence of perpetrators in government made it even difficult for Mugabe to even attempt to prosecute those fingered in mass killings. On his part, Mugabe did however manage to leave behind a constitution in place that appreciates that the country has key reconciliation issues. That constitution establishes an independent commission, National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) whose mandate is to ensure post conflict justice, healing and reconciliation.

Wither Healing and Reconciliation in Zimbabwe?

When President Emmerson Mnangagwa came into power, he noted that it would be difficult for Zimbabwe to achieve progress without justice and reconciliation. For once victims from all across the country, who had been fighting for justice throughout Mugabe’s reign, embraced this glimmer of hope and hoped that the new administration was finally going to deliver on national healing. Since the unfortunate army killings on 1 August 2018, those hopes on the need for healing and reconciliation have been fading. His administration has made it clear that its priority is capital injection particularly Western capital as evidenced by the recent reports that Zimbabwe has cleared its International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrears. Mnangagwa’s stance on the need for justice for victims of state human rights abuse has become increasingly ambiguous. His recent comments during an interview on France 24 over the army killings all but show his disregard for human rights and how just like his predecessor, Mugabe still embraces state repression as a tool to quell public discontent. Adding to an already congested list of issues that need healing and reconciliation are the August 2018 shootings and the January 2019 military clampdown.

What remains inescapable is that time is running for the President to initiate a healing and reconciliation process that goes beyond the cheap sloganeering by some of his supporters on social media. There is no doubt that the national is divided along party and tribal lines. At this juncture, the only risk worth taking is to address the issue of national healing and reconciliation. Tribalism especially across the various tribes has its roots in unaddressed issues of healing and reconciliation that the ruling party has evaded since independence. Zimbabwe is a hurting nation and if issues of healing and reconciliation remain unaddressed, they have potential to explode into a crisis for generations to come.

In the final analysis, healing and reconciliation remain key to economic revival. The neo-liberal path that the government has chosen will further increase citizens distrust of government led policies. As citizens feel the squeeze of the austerity measures brought about by neo-liberalism, more lives will be lost yet again.

Rawlings Magede writes in his personal capacity and is contactable on vamagede@gmail.com

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

Seeking justice in Zimbabwe: Mugabe deserves his day in court

Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe must be a happy man even in his “retirement”. Having been deposed through a military coup in November 2017, the former president has cut a lone figure at his blue roof mansion in the leafy suburb of Borrowdale.

Months after his ousting, the former president vented anger and frustration describing the events of the November 2017 as unconstitutional. In the days leading to the 2018 elections, he shocked even those in ZANU when he appeared to endorse MDC Alliance Presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa when he gave an exclusive press conference highlighting that he was not going to vote for his tormentors. On Election Day he received a rousing welcome in Highfield when he went to cast his vote. All this was taking place against a background where Mugabe’s 37-year rule was marked by disappearances, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detention. How people forget. What is even unfortunate is that in the current discourse, no one seems to ask pertinent questions on the need for justice to people who even today remain victims of Mugabe’s violent rule. For now, the prospects for a criminal prosecution of Mugabe in the Zimbabwe look somewhat distant. Some have expressed fears that a trial so quickly after the coup could be destabilizing, while there are also questions about Zimbabwe’s current capacity to deal with historical abuses.

Once Zanu, always Zanu

The late Professor John Makumbe (may his soul rest in eternal peace) once remarked in 2009 during a public meeting at Ambassador Hotel that the problem we had in Zimbabwe is Mugabe. He went on further to reveal that the ZANU PF that had become notorious for not reforming was a system that was deliberately created by Mugabe to serve his interests alone. Professor Makumbe did however highlight that the only thing that was working against Mugabe was his age and pointed out that either death or military coup will one day depose him off this comfort.

Recently former First lady Grace Mugabe revealed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa chartered a plane for her while she was in Singapore to attend the funeral of her mother. In a move that appeared to prove that the former had indeed come to terms with the fact that he was no longer president, Mugabe went on to reveal that it was time to put behind events of November last year in which he resigned just before conclusion of his impeachment proceedings by Parliament. Mugabe remarked that “There was an election, Zanu-PF was represented by Emmerson Mnangagwa and (Nelson) Chamisa represented MDC Alliance and results came out saying the person who won was Emmerson Mnangagwa and I said now it’s clear,” said Mugabe.“You can’t dispute it. It is now clear. What had been in dispute has corrected through the election results. We have accepted the result and we hope that we will continue respecting the will of the people. The gun does not and should not lead politics,” he said. In his comment especially where he retorts that “the gun does not and should not lead politics”, Mugabe is maintaining that his ousting was unconstitutional and that future engagements between him and Mnangagwa will be premised on that fact.

The endorsement by Mugabe justifies the widely held notion that former ZANU PF members must always be treated with suspicion as in the past several ex-Zanu pf members have struggled to cut the umbilical cord from the party. When Mugabe realized that the MDC Alliance had failed to wrestle power from ZANU PF he put his selfish interest ahead of everything else. The latest move by Mugabe is no surprise as in recent months he had appealed that his blue roof mansion was falling apart, harassment of his wife and delay in the processing of his benefits and the person to address all his problems is Mnangagwa.

The latest move by Mugabe is pregnant with life lessons that have to be prioritized. Firstly for President Mnangagwa, trying to seek Mugabe’s endorsement by offering unnecessary luxuries is doomed to fail. It is an anathema to democracy and allows dictatorship to reign supreme. It only benefits those at the top and unless all conflicting parties are satisfied, which is impossible, it only encourages factions within his party to demand what they believe is due to them. More to the point, Mugabe himself has a reputation of not forgiving his enemies. The gesture extended to the former president can give him enough space and time to regroup with his G40 cabal which will continue to seek to destroy the party from within.

Secondly, for the opposition party (MDC Alliance) the endorsement of Mnangagwa by Mugabe serves as a lesson to remind people that there is no one who leaves ZANU PF permanently. Due to the factions within the party, falling out of favour does not necessarily mean that one will not retrace their roots at some point in their political life. The political landscape is littered with examples of people (ie Joyce Mujuru) who have failed to cleanse themselves from their former party. Going forwad, if there is need for alliances (which I doubt) there is always need to carry out scenario mapping exercises that incorporates the “what ifs” of politics and make sober judgments.

Thirdly and lastly, for the ordinary citizen it will be critical to begin to hold government to account on its expenditure. Where did Mnangagwa get the resources to chart a plane for the former first lady? In the wake up of cholera and typhoid outbreak, would it not be prudent for the President to prioritize health care? Citizens and other various stakeholders within their various spaces would do well holding government to account.

In the final analysis, Mugabe must be hold to account for past atrocities he committed during his tenure. It won’t be today and it may not be next year or even the year after that. But one day, the political and legal conditions for justice for Mugabe and his cronies will be met. It will take a lot of work to make that day happen, but there’s no shortage of effort and energy in Zimbabwe to realize justice for Mugabe’s crimes.

Rawlings Magede writes here in his personal capacity. He tweets at @rawedges and contactable on vamagede@gmail.com

2018: It’s the People vs the Old Guard

Recently, ZANU PF National Political Commissar, Engelbert Rugeje gave an exclusive interview to the Herald where he was buoyant over the mobilization capacity of ZANU PF ahead of the 2018 plebiscite. He spoke at length about a “spider web” campaign strategy, a campaign that he said focused cells in a way that link them together just lie the spider does.

However recent developments within ZANU PF primary election processes have exposed Rugeje as some losing candidates accuse him of rigging elections against them. After the shambolic primary elections, there was a lot of disgruntlement within ZANU PF. Among the disgruntlement were a section of war veterans who accused Rugeje of sidelining them. It even got worse as the politburo ordered a rerun of primary elections in some constituencies.

The war veterans even sought audience with President Mnangagwa in Harare where they expressed the sidelining of war veterans who were aspiring for political office. By agreeing to meet war veterans, Mnangagwa acknowledges that war veterans remain a key player in ZANU PF political jigsaw. Their capacity to mobilize communities through intimidation tactics have given birth to communities that are fearful. Past episodes of political violence continue to remind local communities of how far the ruling establishment can go in retaining power at all costs.

The war veterans have arm-twisted the ruling party on numerous occasions just to get their demands met. In most instances they have threatened to decampaign the party and this has worked as they have managed to manipulate circumstances to extort trinkets. What remains undeniable is the fact that after the military coup of November 2017, ZANU PF is at its weakest. No one within the party has a clue of how they can master and implement Mugabe’s tactics that kept him at the helm for so long. Never in the history of ZANU PF have we witnessed such intimidation and violence during primary elections. What is even revealing about the infighting and disunity within ZANU PF is that the party has no capacity in running and managing internal party fissures. The divisions and conflicts created by primary elections present another opportunity for a protest vote (bhora musango) as witnessed in 2008.But any hope within those disgruntled in ZANU PF that the need to repeat the primary elections would unite warring parties and create a better quality process will turn out to be overly optimistic. Instead, the second run of the primary elections were controversial as the first as fresh evidence has already emerged that those who helped Mnangagwa ascend to power will now be uncontested as is the case in Norton.

Added to this, there appears to be no shift from the Mugabe era as demonstrated by an excessive concentration of authority in individuals which has enable enabled the formation of imperial-like presidencies. It has reinforced power relations that make ZANU PF members mere recipients of the party’s largesse (where available) rather than active members. Surprisingly, it is not only ZANU PF that has presided over sham primary elections.

Age vs Experience

Opposition party, MDC-T is yet to conclude its primary elections. What is unfortunate is that its primary elections have been marred by reports of vote rigging, intimidation and in some cases open violence. There is a war of attrition between the old generation and the young party leaders over the selection of candidates in the primary elections. Given by developments in Mabvuku and Harare West, it seems the young generation has gained an upper hand by dislodging senior party leaders in primary elections. However, the major weakness of such a move is that there appears to be no mechanism in place to blend the “old guard” and the young leaders. The process is also devoid of any measures that ensure that even disgruntled “losing” candidates remain in the party. In my view this presents a recipe for frustration and disaster. While it’s important to thrust young leaders into key constituencies, the process requires precision and tact so as to accommodate everyone. Added to this, there is some value that Legislators who have served in Parliament for some years can still bring. Since it’s not yet uhuru for opposition parties, there is no need to create confusions that birth protest vote or force some legislators to become independent candidates. ZANU PF enjoys more than two thirds majority in Parliament and if MDC-T fails to do internal laundry on its candidate selection criteria, then they risk even losing its traditional seats especially urban constituencies (Harare West, Mabvuku etc.).

There is no doubt that citizens are frustrated by the current administration. The new dispensation has failed to live up to its billing as we have continued to see protection of corrupt politicians, a culture of impunity and the lack of political will to tackle critical issues. In rural areas, the ZANU PF machinery remains oiled as Traditional leaders and ZANU PF structures have intensified voter intimidation. Added to this, independent Commissions such as the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission that are supposed to cut the umbilical cord from ZANU PF and demonstrate genuine independence have remained heavily compromised. Repugnant pieces of legislation such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) have remained in place even though they contradict some provisions of the constitution.

For the ordinary citizen, it’s a tough choice to make. The confusion that currently characterize opposition politics has generated contentious public debates that have become swan songs with some people highlighting that the lack of political tolerance will become the nemesis for opposition. On the other hand, you have a clueless regime that has mastered sloganeering as a panacea for the ailing economy. In the final analysis, it is important to highlight that the people in their diverseness will have the final say come election time.

Rawlings Magede is a Pan Africanist who writes in his personal capacity. He tweets @rawedges and contactable on vamagede@gmail.com

To be or not to be: Mugabe’s latest headache

“I had once asked him directly, “What is the supreme organ in Zimbabwe? He had answered:” The supreme body in Zimbabwe is the central committee of ZANU PF”. I told him that could not be so: that the supreme organ of the country could only be its elected parliament”. This is the conversation between Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe contained in Joshua Nkomo’s book “The Story of my Life”. The conversation between the two was before the Gukurahundi massacres.

It’s clear from the conversation that Robert Mugabe did not start acting outside the law later in his reign. What is even coincidental, is that the same Central committee that he branded as the Supreme organ is the one that recalled him from government in November 2017. After a careful reading of the book, the reader gets a deeper understanding of the person of Mugabe, his flaws and strength. The personal experience of Father Zimbabwe as he narrates suffering at the hands of Mugabe goes on to show how Mugabe would not allow anything stand in his way in consolidating his position and firm grip on power. Good book, good read. Rest in Peace Father Zimbabwe.

Why can’t Mugabe get it?

Former deposed President Robert Mugabe, has been making the headlines lately. For the first time after his ceremonious removal from power, the former president had chosen to remain silent for reasons best known to himself. In recent weeks however, Mugabe has treated those who care to listen with revealing dossiers of how unhappy and troubled he is after the military coup. During a recent interview, he lamented the unfair treatment by the current administration that range from ill-treatment of his wife, delay in pension pecks etc. The personal tragedy that befell Mugabe in November 2017 does not deserve sympathy but must constantly serve to remind him of the broader entrenched trend of repression, brazen disregard for democratic rights that his administration had normalized for the past 37 years.

His plea to regional groupings such as the African Union, SADC has fallen on deaf ears as it seems that no African leaders shares some sympathy for him. Today, the once seemingly invincible dictator who at one point described himself as the Hitler of the times, is detested and lampooned by the common man. His unconstitutional removal from power was well celebrated even by opposition parties. For many years, Mugabe’s legacy of tyranny and violence characterized Zimbabwean politics. Many opposition party supporters were killed in cold blood, maimed and killed by Mugabe as he continued his firm grip on power. The Mugabe that the citizens were accustomed to would abduct political opponents and rig elections. Today Mugabe cuts a lone figure in the wilderness and laments about people killed during the coup and the need to return the country to what he terms a “constitutional democracy”. These are the same things that he never upheld during his long tenure. The old dictator must now find a hole and hide out of shame and stop lecturing the country about democracy.

Enter NPF

Last week, a picture of Robert Mugabe, Jealousy Mawarire and Ambrose Mutinhiri went viral on social media and further confirmed media reports that Mugabe indeed was in support of the formation of a new political party, National Patriotic Front (NPF). While for now the structure of NPF is not yet known, the party only has a spokesperson (Mawarire) and former Minister of State for Mashonaland East Province, Ambrose Mutinhiri as its president. What remains unclear is why Mugabe chose not to be its president given that last year he had been endorsed by all the country’s 10 provinces as ZANU PF presidential candidate. Mugabe appears too careful to announce his decision to join or front a new political party. In a newspaper article recently, Mugabe revealed that Mnangagwa had promised to discuss with him an array of issues once he came back from a state visit to the DRC.Mugabe also knows that for all benefits that are due to him to be swift, he needs the cooperation of Mnangagwa so I don’t see him joining any opposition party.

The impact of the Official Secret act

Added to an array of problems for Mugabe is the archaic colonial-era Act; the Official Secrets Act [Chapter 11:09]. This Act was promulgated on 27 February 1970 by the minority colonial regime for among other purposes, “prohibit(ing) the disclosure for any purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) of information which might be useful to an enemy; to make provision for the purpose of preventing persons from obtaining or disclosing official secrets in Zimbabwe; to prevent unauthorized persons from making sketches, plans or models of and to prevent trespass upon defence works, fortifications, military reserves and other prohibited places.” The penalty for disclosure of state secrets under Section 4 of Zimbabwe's secrecy law is imprisonment for up to (20) years, a fine, or both.

Over the years, ZANU PF was hit by massive desertions as party cadres fell out of favour with Mugabe and subsequently fired. Many names such as Edgar Tekere, Margaret Dongo, Didymus Mutasa, Joyce Mujuru and more recently members of the G40 cabal. None of the above members at any point dared to expose the intricate details of how ZANU PF ran its affairs that kept it in power for so long. The only one who came close more recently was Didymus Mutasa who revealed that after the 2008 elections, he was on his was to his rural home to make room for an MDC-T government. While Joyce Mujuru has remained actively involved in opposition politics,she has failed to win citizens heart because of her failure cut the umbilical cord from ZANU PF and to provide firsthand information on how the 2008 elections were rigged given that she was the country’s Vice President.

All this owes to the fact that all these former cadres are away of the consequences of the Official Secrets Act in the event of it violation. As tyrant who had ruled for 37 years, Mugabe finds himself bound by the dictates of the Official Secrets Act. It is quite revealing that Mugabe was too general on revealing the statistics of people killed during the coup but only mentioned it in passing. This is because he is aware of the implications of this act and even more damaging is the fact that he presided over the killing of his political opponents since independence so making damaging revelations might implicate him in some of the atrocities committed by his government.

In the final analysis, Mugabe remains beholden to the whims and directives of the current administration. For now, he will desperately choose to hold to the little dignity he thinks he still has and try to use it as a trump card to convince Mnangagwa that he needs his blessing before the elections. For Mugabe. It’s a tough choice, if he chooses to become part of opposition, he risks serious persecution. The days ahead will be interesting

The writer, Rawlings Magede is a Pan Africanist and writes in his personal capacity. He tweets @rawedges and contactable on vamagede@gmail.com

President Mnangagwa’s visit to DRC deplorable

This past week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited his “brother”, Joseph Kabila, the current illegitimate President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The visit by Mnangagwa was part of his regional adventure to brief his Democratic Republic of Congo counterpart Joseph Kabila on the transition that led to the end of former president Robert Mugabe's rule last year. According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, Mnangagwa held a closed-door meeting in Kinshasa with Kabila.

Mnangagwa visit to the DRC comes after weeks of engagement with other regional countries such as Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. In understanding the intended purpose of Mnangagwa “closed door” meeting with Kabila, it will also be good to look at the deep-seated problems currently devilling the DRC. According to the country’s constitution, Kabila’s mandated term ended back in December 2016. However, his administration simply failed to organize elections and has embarked on various attempts to keep the president in power. His refusal to respect the constitution prompted widespread non-violent urban protests, which were met with harsh repression and deadly force. To date the DRC, remains engulfed in a crisis owing to the failure by Kabila to respect the constitution.

AU, SADC silence on the DRC shocking

Botswana became the first country to explicitly call Kabila, to step down. As most African leaders maintained a stony silence in response to Congolese leader Joseph Kabila’s determination to postpone elections and extend his stay in office, Botswana President Ian Khama’s government shot straight from the hip.

“Some political leaders refuse to relinquish power when their term of office expires,” he said on Twitter. “It is clear that such leaders are driven by self-interest, instead of those of the people they govern. The Democratic Republic of Congo is a case in point”. In my view, President Khama must at least be commended for being vocal on countries that disrespect the constitution. During the Mugabe era, Khama crossed swords with fellow African leaders many times after they remained mum on the lack of democratic culture in Zimbabwe. And today, Khama has once again voiced his frustration over the blatant disregard of the constitution by Kabila.

For 17 years, DRC has lurched from one crisis to another. In all this, Kabila has been assisted by an array of actors – including donors, multinationals and international institutions – who have tolerated and enabled his abuses. These actors have unfortunately prioritized stability over democracy which unfortunately the Congolese people do not have at the moment.

Following the violent and heavy repression on protesters who expressed disapproval of Kabila’s continued grip on power, the reaction from much of the international community contrasted sharply with opinion in Congo. There was a deafening silence from some international quarters, while others urged all parties to refrain from violence. Such calls however neglect the deep seated problems of the lack of constitutionalism in the DRC that continue to dog the DRC till this day. To date, Kabila has reneged on two deals to get him to leave office and the silence from regional bodies such as the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) has been sickening to say the least.

Why ED visited DRC

Both Kabila and Mnangagwa have some similarities. They all face the heavy burden of legitimacy. They all came to power via the use of the military and they continue to serve as “illegitimate” leaders at the mercy of the military. While Mnangagwa’s visit was meant to drum up regional support and issues of legitimacy on his Presidency, they are both aware of the onerous task that lies ahead. On one hand, Kabila is reluctant to call for elections and step down. If he goes this route, that will signal the end of his 17-year tenure as President of the DRC.On one hand, Mnangagwa presidency has somewhat been quite controversial. His desire to rebrand ZANU PF has seen the 75-year-old president creating false hope and expectation. His 100 days in office has not yielded any tangible reforms. Added to this, in his 100 days in office, he has managed to “charm” the international community by promising to undertake serious reforms around elections and the economy. Any reasonable observer will conclude that Zimbabwe needs an all hands on deck approach to build a truly prosperous political and economic environment, one predicated on a foundation of justice and accountability. It is difficult to deny the negative impact that the military coup in Zimbabwe has had on the country’s social and political stability. ED has a lot of work ahead of him including the holding of a genuinely free and fair election this year, and if not much of the country will remain shackled, unable to break the hammerlock of an increasingly retrograde regime. Both “illegitimate” presidents know that indeed 2018 is judgement day for them and this even explains why they even conducted closed door meetings possibly to strategize.

Soon after the closed door meeting with Kabila, ED remarked, "I feel home away from home. President Kabila is a brother to me, I am his elder brother, he is younger, but of course he is my elder colleague. “He has been president for some time, but we are actually family and I am very happy to be here in the DRC and I was briefing my brother about this transition that has taken place in Zimbabwe and committing the new administration to consolidate our already excellent relationship."

What is saddening is the fact that our own media back home has failed to unpack the improperness of ED’S visit to the DRC.Whether it was done in the spirit of briefing Kabila about “transition” in Zimbabwe, visiting an individual who has failed to respect his own people’s constitution is deplorable and more or less exposes ED as an individual who embraces the blatant violation of constitutions. If anything, if ED is serious about issues of constitutionalism and democracy he must join hands with the lonely voice of Khama in calling for the stepping down of Kabila.

In the final analysis, Kabila is not the President of the DRC, regional bodies and the International community must appreciate this. The crisis in the DRC is desperate and neglected by regional groupings such as SADC and the AU. With several African set to hold election this year, will SADC and AU ensure that elections in African are peaceful, free and fair given that they have failed to act decisively on the current crisis in the DRC? I don’t think so!

Rawlings Magede is a Pan Africanist and writes here in his personal capacity. He tweets @rawedges and contactable on vamagede@gmail.com

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