Is Zimbabwe sleep-walking into a Gushungo dynasty?

By Benjamin Semwayo

The events occurring on the political scene in Zimbabwe are inexpressibly disgraceful and are a far cry from the situation befitting a country that has more than a fair share of doctoral degrees held by its citizenry, numbered among whom is the First Lady who, despite dismally failing to meet the minimum requirements for the conferment of a B.A. degree in the UK, performed academic gymnastics that culminated in the unprecedented, mind-boggling feat of completing her doctoral studies in a mere three months. The world will have to wait for eternity before that record is broken.

The First Lady’s brainpower aside, Zimbabwe, whose monumental failure under Mugabe’s government has already earned itself a place as an archetypal example of what happens when a leader is given unfettered power, is hurtling towards the point where it is owned by one family. The events happening in the ruling party are unbelievable, to say the least.

Who would have believed that hundreds of stalwarts would be culled on the dictates of Mugabe’s whims and caprices? Heroes and heroines whose names are synonymous with the armed struggle itself are all being sacrificed to pave the way for the Mugabe Kingdom. Joyce, Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa, Dzikamai Mavhaire, Gumbo and many others have bitten the dust, and still counting, all because they stand in the way of Mugabe’s wishes.

Mugabe will not admit that he has hatched a plan to perpetuate his family’s grip on power but the goings-on in Zimbabwe show clearly that such a plan is afoot. It is clear that if he had a grown up son, as was the case with Laurent Kabila, he would have groomed him for the top post. His problem is compounded by the fact that his wife has never had any appetite for politics and has not strategically placed herself to succeed him and as such it should be strictly impossible for her to make a belated leap for the presidency.

But being Mugabe, and having a large following of bootlickers and yes-men, he feels that nothing is impossible as he has become accustomed to having all his desires nodded to by his ingratiating cronies.

The plan is that Grace will become the caretaker president while the couple’s children are growing up, and as soon as Chatunga is deemed to be old enough he will take over the reigns. It is unlikely that Mugabe is excited about Grace taking over, given her past shenanigans and betrayals, but Mugabe has no choice as that is the only way of ensuring the continued political relevance of his family. He has to agree with that arrangement as it is a convenient way of keeping power within the family.

What is difficult to understand is the fact that although there many influential Zanu PF stalwarts who are opposed to such a plan, as they well should be, most are too scared to declare their positions. It is common knowledge that not only does Grace lack the political standing in Zanu PF to even be  thinking about succeeding her husband, if proper protocols are followed, but she is also not leadership material.

Unfortunately all that is immaterial because Zanu PF has made Mugabe the supreme leader who will always have his way. The constitution will be shredded and anyone standing in the way will be jettisoned from the party, because that has become Zanu PF’s modus operandi.

The war veterans, who for decades have been useful tools for unleashing mayhem when it favoured Zanu PF, have been split into two groups as those who stand to gain from Grace’s anticipated rise are working tirelessly to transform her wishes into reality. They are supported by a coterie of prominent Zanu PF ministers and MPs, especially those belonging to the G40 faction, who feel they will not benefit from Mnangagwa’s presidency.

Mugabe himself is desperate to give the impression that he is not involved in factionalism, but it is evident that he favours his wife’s faction as he invariably lambasts Mnangagwa’s supporters while showering praises on Grace and her supporters. He is actually the godfather of the G40 faction as it is all about launching the Gushungo dynasty.