Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s 37-year monopoly on power has come to an abrupt end. The military seized power following a week of confrontation with his government. While the army generals say they aren’t staging a coup or targeting the 93-year-old president, it’s clear they are calling the shots for now in the impoverished southern African nation. What sparked the crisis?
It’s all about who will succeed Mugabe, and the catalyst was the president’s decision last week to fire his long-time ally Emmerson Mnangagwa as vice president. Mnangagwa was a pillar of the military and security apparatus that helped Mugabe emerge as the nation’s leader after independence from the U. Initially, his dismissal suggested that Mugabe’s wife Grace and her supporters had gained the upper hand in the battle for control of the ruling party and the race to succeed the president. Yet the unopposed intervention of the armed forces shows where the true power lies. What’s likely to happen to Mugabe?
The armed forces were quick to say they weren’t targeting Mugabe or his family and their actions were directed against “criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice.” They’ve pledged to return Zimbabwe to normalcy after accomplishing their mission and to allow lawmakers to serve their constituencies “according to democratic tenants. So Mugabe may stay on as president?
It’s possible he will be allowed to remain in office while reconfiguring his administration to accommodate the military. In any event, Mugabe’s political career is drawing to a close -- he appears increasingly frail and was considered unlikely to be able to serve out another five-year term even though the ruling party had nominated him as its presidential candidate in elections that are scheduled for next year. What’s the situation like on the ground?
The military has seized control of the state broadcaster, sealed off parliament and surrounded the central bank. While several armored vehicles could be seen patrolling the streets of Harare, the capital, there was no sign of upheaval, most shops and banks remain open and the airport was operating as normal. The University of Zimbabwe postponed examinations and foreign embassies warned their citizens to remain at home and exercise caution. Who are likely to be Zimbabwe’s new power brokers?
Armed forces commander Constantine Chiwenga, army commander Valerio Sibanda and air force commander Perence Shiri are the key figures within the military, while Mnangagwa, 75, is set to play a leading political role. Members of the so-called G-40 faction within the ruling party, who want Mugabe’s 52-year-old wife to succeed him, are likely to be sidelined. What does the military intervention mean for the economy?
Zimbabwe’s economy is in tatters. Any new or reconfigured administration will face an uphill battle to get it back on track. The nation has no currency of its own, using mainly the dollar as legal tender and there are chronic shortages of cash. An estimated 95 percent of the workforce is jobless and as many as 3 million Zimbabweans have gone into exile.
The Reference Shelf.
0 comments:
Post a Comment