Tensions rise in Zimbabwe over president Mnangagwa’s bid to keep grip on power after second term

Tensions are rising in Zimbabwe over president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s intention to remain in power after his second term ends in 2028.

The country is bracing for what has been dubbed an ‘uprising’, as liberation war veterans are rallying ordinary Zimbabweans to join Monday’s protests in their push to oust Mnangagwa.

The former freedom fighters, who are backing Mnangagwa’s deputy Constantino Chiwenga to take over, feel the president has failed to address the country’s struggling economy.

Associate professor of public affairs at Tshwane University of Technology Ricky Mukonza says the events are a repeat of 2017, which led to the ousting of late president Robert Mugabe, led by Chiwenga, who was then the country’s military chief.

“You’ve got to understand the political dynamics in Zimbabwe and who seems to hold the power in Zimbabwean politics, and anyone who has an influence in the military definitely has an influence on the power politics in that country. It’s not a new phenomenon. The deputy president, Constantino Chiwenga, has been a leader of the army for some time and is considered to have a serious influence. What we wait to see is who has the real control of the army,” says Mukonza.