Award-winning investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and former Information Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo are locked in a heated debate over who holds the reins of power in Zimbabwe. Chin’ono challenges Moyo’s claim that the 2017 coup was a break from tradition, arguing that the military has always been the driving force behind Zimbabwe’s politics.
“By way of its history, context and evolution, the liberation struggle principle that politics commands the gun, and the gun does not command politics is not just a matter of mundane facts or journalistic anecdotes; rather, it is fundamentally about the political history of Zimbabwe in general and the history of Zimbabwe’s liberation or independence struggle in particular…” said Moyo.
Chin’ono asserts, “ZANU has always been led by the gun. Only ZAPU was led by politics.” He points to historical events, such as the removal of ZANU founder Ndabaningi Sithole through the 1975 Mgagao Declaration, orchestrated by ZANLA, the military arm of the ruling party. The assassination of Herbert Chitepo in Zambia, linked to ZANLA operatives, further underscores this trend.
When Robert Mugabe emerged as ZANU leader, Chin’ono claims it was military backing, not political consensus, that propelled him to the top. Rex Nhongo (later General Solomon Mujuru) secured Mugabe’s position, despite Mozambican President Samora Machel’s disapproval. Even during the Lancaster House talks in 1979, military leaders like General Josiah Tongogara intervened to push Mugabe toward compromise.
In the post-independence era, Chin’ono argues that the army remained ZANU-PF’s enforcer. “Whenever Mugabe felt threatened, the military sorted out party problems,” he writes, referring to General Mujuru’s role as kingmaker. After 2000, generals allegedly directed elections and intimidated opponents. General Vitalis Zvinavashe issued a chilling warning that the military would not accept an opposition victory, and General Constantino Chiwenga orchestrated both the 2008 political stalemate and the 2017 coup.
Chin’ono sheds light on the current power dynamics, stating that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has maintained power largely thanks to the loyalty of Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander General Philip Valerio Sibanda. “Mnangagwa has been strategic,” Chin’ono observes, pointing out how the president has purged top ZANLA commanders loyal to Chiwenga and replaced them with ex-ZIPRA officers.
Chin’ono rejects Moyo’s theory that the 2017 coup was an anomaly. “It wasn’t,” he insists. “What was an aberration was the level of violence directed at CIO and police officers.” As speculation swirls over Mnangagwa’s next moves, including possible action against Vice President Chiwenga, the nation watches closely.
source-online
