Is It The End Of Robert Mugabe? See What Put Him In Trouble

As written by Kelechi Deca

When I heard that President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe sacked his deputy, Mr. Emerson Mnangagwa,I told a colleague of mine that this is the beginning of the end for the Mugabe era in Zimbabwe.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former spy chief who helped Mugabe to power forty years ago is too strong to be swept aside. The military and secret police apparatus are in his hands, and he guards them jealously. Mugabe’s paranoid which led him to prop up his wife “Gucci Grace”, the most hated woman in southern Africa region as next replacement sealed his fate.

After he announced the military would stop “those bent on hijacking the revolution,” the ruling party called Chiwenga’s comments “treasonable” and the die was cast. Sources from Harare say that Mugabe who has been on house arrest since yesterday is negotiating terms of his step down while the military says it’s rounding up the “criminals around him.”

I remember an encounter I had few years ago with Madam Gucci Grace on my way from Singapore enroute Dubai. The Zimbabwean First Lady and her entourage of bodyguards, and ladies in waiting occupied the entire First and Business Class compartment of the Emirates Boeing 777 300 LR aircraft.

I do not buy into the claim that some men start to lose it after marriage. But in Mugabe’s case, Gucci Grace contributed 80% to his madness. Those who have followed his government closely will easily point out that it started losing focus following his marriage to Grace after the death of his first wife. Gucci will definitely miss a big customer in Madam Grace Mugabe.

Intriguingly, Emerson whom he sacked few days ago will now take over power. It has indeed been a Night of Long Knives in Zimbabwe.

I do not know if this is a good news for Zimbabwe and Africa or not, unless Emerson starts the process for an election and handover to a civilian elected government in the country.