What happened and why: Part Two
Below is a link to mainly academic community outlet 'The Conversation' with a number of new SME articles and few from the archive.
Professor Chan comments on the PRC link:
Quote:
It is no coincidence that General Constantine Chiwenga, the Zimbabwe army chief, was visiting China when Mnangagwa was booted out. It seems likely that Chiwenga discussed his plan to intervene with the Chinese. Having supported and trained Mugabe’s rebel liberation army in the late 1970s and helped finance the country’s grossly mismanaged economy, Bejing must be relieved at the prospect of a return to actual economic management.
Link:https://theconversationuk.cmail20.co...5E7602346EC846
"Slow Motion Coup" should enter the SWJ lexicon
Quote:
Though the military that seized control after rolling out the tanks in the early hours of Wednesday was at pains to portray its takeover as anything but a coup, the reality is that the generals are now calling the shots. Troops are deployed on the streets of the capital, Harare, and at key security points, including the airport, only last week renamed the Robert Mugabe International Airport by a state apparatus that had one eye on a post-Mugabe era.What one observer called a “slow motion coup” is now playing out in Zimbabwe as the armed forces, led by General Constantino Chiwenga, seek to ease out the old regime and bring in something new. They are trying to do so in a manner that is palatable to regional powers, particularly South Africa, which have made clear they do not consider military coups an acceptable form of regime change.
https://www.ft.com/content/956bd71e-...8-7a9fb7d6163e
It's really the young -v- the old?
Yes the competition for power appears to be over who sits in the chair and nearby - within ZANU-PF - and somehow party branches, including the Women's League (previously Grace Mugabe's fiefdom) have called upon Robert Mugabe to stand down.
This could far more significant, especially if there are really free & fair elections:
Quote:
They make up a majority of Zimbabweans, with around three-quarters of the population under 35 years old today, and have borne the worst brunt of years of economic mismanagement.Millions of high-school and university graduates produced by one of Africa’s best education systems have sought work abroad as industry collapsed and inflation sky-rocketed. Others struggle to make ends meet with menial or manual piecemeal labour that makes no use of their skills.
The unexpected ousting of a man whose rule seemed like it would never end has brought the first glimpse of hope in years to many of them.
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...d-the-abnormal
All change, ah I'm not resigning says Cde Robert
I have just listened to Robert Mugabe's TV broadcast, where he did not resign; so one must wonder why the saviours of the nation / party let him do this. Everyone knows he is an old man and has had better days. The broadcast ended with some mumbles not normally broadcast.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-a...ses-the-nation
The accompanying BBC report refers to:
Quote:
In a live TV address, Mr Mugabe said he would preside over the ruling party's congress in December.The Zanu-PF earlier sacked him as party leader, and gave him less than 24 hours to resign as president or be impeached.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42046911
Via Twitter one of the BBC's correspondents:
Quote:
So what now? The war veterans threatened more protests, the party threatened to impeach him, if he didn't step down... And yet the generals went along with tonight's long-winded, wordy display of studied ambiguity.
As for the most likely current successor BBC Radio Four has a short profile of the 'Crocodile' and one Tweet sums it up:
Quote:
In Emmerson Mnangagwa you are going to get a man leading Zimbabwe who is as horrendous as Robert Mugabe if not worse
Link to programme:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09fj3xh
All change, I'm resigning says Cde Robert
Well after a hectic few days President Robert Mugabe has resigned, after his own once loyal party, ZANU-PF, disowned him and impeachment by parliament was in prospect.
The BBC has multiple stories:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42071488
Now will ZANU-PF hold onto power or share it meaningfully? Time will tell and for once Zimbabweans are optimistic. One exile I know simply said it would be a long time before their family returned - there are millions abroad, notably in South Africa.
So after a long run, this thread started in March 2017, with 387 posts and 139k views, I have merged the current thread into this and will open a new thread Zimbabwe: after Mugabe resigns.