It’s only a few weeks before the coup plotters celebrate the Second Republic, which came after the military helped oust Robert Mugabe, then leader of the country for the first 37 years since independence.
With the coup having started on 14 November, Mugabe succumbed to pressure and signed his resignation letter on 21 November when his long-time allies, among them Emmerson Mnangagwa and then Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Constantino Chiwenga turned their backs on him and opted to topple him.
Mnangagwa, having been fired from government on 6 November following attacks by the G40 factional grouping and fleeing the country the next day after talks of a planned hit on him, returned home on 22 November from South Africa, where he had sought refuge.
On 24 November he was inaugurated President, promising that Zimbabwe was open for business, her economy would boom, and jobs would open up.
Instantly, he was an avowed reformist. He travelled to all corners of the world trying to woo the support of the international community. All he came back with was promise after promise.
The investors were waiting for the 30 July 2018 elections to see if Mnangagwa would follow the law to the letter and to the spirit.
During the election campaign period, Mnangagwa promised guaranteed jobs, improved health facilities, money in the banks and in automated teller machines ‑ all in all, a new Zimbabwe. He claimed Zimbabwe had wasted several years in isolation under Mugabe.
The elections came and went. The electorate voted for their candidates, with the protagonists being Mnangagwa himself and opposition MDC Alliance’s youthful leader Nelson Chamisa.
Chamisa lost to his nemesis by a small margin, and contested the win in the Constitutional Court. A ruling was made and Mnangagwa was declared winner.
But now, the nation is licking its wounds.
First to spoil his supposed plans was the 1 August deadly shootings in the capital by the military, where seven civilians died as a result of gunshot wounds.
The military fired live ammunition on fleeing citizens following protests over alleged electoral theft.
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