Is Zimbabwe any closer to regime change?

He said Mnangagwa could have clinched the vice-presidency in 2004 but Mugabe felt that he was too powerful and opted for Mujuru instead. He reversed the tables in 2014 when he kicked out Mujuru and brought back Mnangagwa.

Fearing that Mnangagwa was becoming too powerful and the obvious successor, Mugabe, according to his former deputy Mujuru, created G40, which is ostensibly campaigning for his wife.

While it seemed to be gaining momentum especially in 2015, G40’s wings were clipped last year when war veterans told Mugabe to put a rein on his wife who had started castigating the defence forces and Mnangagwa publicly.

One of its leaders, Saviour Kasukuwere, is currently under fire and the country’s 10 provinces have asked that he be fired for trying to oust Mugabe, though there were skirmishes in Bulawayo at the weekend following accusations that the provincial leadership there was behind Kasukuwere.

Zimbabwe has at least a full 13 months before any elections can be held and ZANU-PF is currently basking in the success of the command agriculture project which has made the country food self-sufficient again.

Mnangagwa even claimed that the government has created the two million jobs the party promised during its 2013 election campaign but this has been brushed off as industry has hardly recovered.

The party is, however, assured that it will remain in power until 21 August 2018, even if Mugabe becomes incapacitated, because the country’s constitution says that ZANU-PF will take over the presidency until his term expires.

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