‘Three weeks of Dead Cat Strategy to distract public from real issues’- Chari

United States based Zimbabwean political activist and technology entrepreneur Freeman Chari believes that the recent socialite controversies are Zanu-PF fabrications meant to “distract people” from the rape allegations against President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The nation for the past three weeks was gripped by allegations that Mnangagwa raped Australian based Zimbabwean businesswoman Susan Mutami. The report dominated the news cycle for a few days before huge robberies were also announced in several instances.

Socialites also started the usual drama with Felistas Murata well known as Mai Tt claiming infidelity in her public marriage with Tinashe Maphosa.

Chari said these were planned controversies meant to distract the public from real issues like inflation, voter registration among other problems the country faces.

He thinks that Zimbabwean are too “excitable” and the local “dictators” use that as a launch-pad to manipulate public attention. He cited the Dead Cat Theory” as a political strategy encompassing this.

“In Politics there is something called a Dead Cat Strategy. This is where one makes an extremely absurd or shocking announcement or drops a bombshell in order to distract people during a Public Relations crisis. It is a strategy used a lot by dictators,” Chari articulated on Twitter on Thursday morning.

“You have seen it in play within the past 2-3 weeks wherein damaging rape allegations were made on Mnangagwa by Susan Mutami. These dominated the news cycle for a few days. Their first response was typical gaslighting strategy meant to sow doubt and present the accuser as insane

“That did not seem to work as the weapons that were deployed did not seem to have the aptitude to sustain the wave of public sympathy and outcry that existed. You saw those in Temba, Linda, Gambakwe, Zimeye et al.”

He further stated: “Knowing Zimbabweans as excitable and unfocused, the apparatus deployed a second weapon. Suddenly, there were absurd and competing stories doing rounds. Mai TT doing rounds on one side, now you hear about suicides and shootings.

“These were not random or isolated but coordinated counter-crisis initiatives emanating from the red brick HQ. You also saw useless news being given prominence all this played into a calculated counter-strategy. My hope is that folks use this as a wake up call.

“Nothing is plain in this game. Most importantly cyber-subversion is a thing. As primitive and rudimentary as they are, they have the state apparatus working day and night to Infiltrate, Exploit, Manipulate and Destroy. Pay Attention!” Chari stressed.