He is being confronted by thugs and is under attack. Or so says Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who broke ranks with the international community on Tuesday, declaring war at home.
Mnangagwa is facing the biggest challenge to his leadership since he took over from Robert Mugabe in November 2017. A failing economy, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, widespread corruption and a grossly underpaid public service, have become rallying points for the opposition and calls are mounting for him to step down.
According to Mnangagwa, however, the problems in
Zimbabwe are not his fault — they have been caused by "American thugs".
Last week, he threatened to deport the US ambassador in Harare, Brian A Nichols, for allegedly funding the opposition.
Addressing the nation on Tuesday, Mnangagwa said he had not had a break since coming into power.
"My establishment has faced many hurdles and attacks since its inauguration," he said.
He said natural disasters and pandemics had conspired with "dark forces" that must be "flushed out" to make his mandate possible.
"These [attacks] include the divisive politics of some opposition elements, the illegal economic sanctions, cyclones, droughts and, more recently, the deadly Covid-19 pandemic … All this was meant to undermine our projected economic growth and stability," he said.
Brian Kagoro, a human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, said Mnangagwa could not say the West was his enemy when, not long ago, he and foreign affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo referred to the British and Americans as friends.
"These are imaginary enemies. Instead of doing things right, he is taking Zimbabwe to the dark ages. Abducting and persecuting people who expose corruption, the same corruption you fire a minister for, is plain wrong. Calling people who don’t see things the same way as you ‘terrorists’ is unfortunate. Instead, the dark forces at play are the arms of the state behind kidnappings," he said.
More than 7-million Zimbabweans face starvation, while government workers — earning the equivalent of R500 a month — and health-care workers have been on strike for 50 days.
Amid a lacklustre command of the economy and a violent response to rising displeasure, even some within the president’s circle are openly condemning him.
Shingi Munyeza, a business person and cleric who is part of Mnangagwa’s advisory team, has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene. "Dear President Ramaphosa, at what point will you pick up the phone and have a conversation with your Zimbabwean counterpart and find a lasting solution to the region’s perennial chronic headache?" Munyeza asked.
The cleric has been outspoken about the president’s failure to deal with poverty, cartels that bleed the economy and the brutality of law-enforcement agencies.
Attempts on Tuesday to get comment from SA’s department of international relations and co-operation were unsuccessful.
Even within Zanu-PF, there are those who doubt Mnangagwa is the right person to lead the country. "When Mugabe dragged us [Zanu-PF] into self-destruction, a mission to get rid of him was set in motion and it worked. Now that could be the same with Mnangagwa, because the worst that could happen is to lose power as a party — we can’t let one person endanger us," said a Zanu-PF official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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