Last week, Robert Mugabe resigned as president the position he has held for the past 37 years, after the threat of impeachment and military pressure by Zimbabwe citizens. In the past, Mugabe said that “only God will remove me,” but once lawmakers started the impeachment process, he quickly resigned. He had been president since the Zimbabwean independence in 1980. While some Zimbabwean citizens love Mugabe and support his actions, others despise him.
Mugabe has had control of Zimbabwe ever since they gained their independence from Great Britain. He has been keeping a tight rule on the country, trying to regain many lost freedoms for black Zimbabweans. He had been trying to redistribute the land taken by the Europeans, back to the black Africans. All of this built-up tension finally exploded, causing him to be put on house arrest while military leaders gained control of the state.
Mugabe strategically fired his very powerful Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, to clear power for his wife. His wife has very little political experience and she is not popular within the country due to an alleged assault against a model who was partying with her sons. She told her husband, “If you want to give me the job, give it to me freely.” She expects to receive the position of President because of being the First Lady but her expectations are unrealistic based on the reality of the situation.
Mnangagwa, on the other hand, is the preferred candidate of the country. In the past, people have relied on him for economic stability. In contrast to this impression of stability, there had been a feud between Mnangagwa and Mugabe’s wife. He had accused her of poisoning him after he became sick after one of the rallies, but she denies everything. Citizens are unsure if the allegations are true making them unsure of her.
Mnangagwa was appointed the first post-Mugabe President shortly after Mugabe stepped down. He had promised then economic stability and to settle their debt. Because of his use of the military to secure his position, Mnangagwa appointed many officers to official jobs. This has upset many citizens, however. He had told citizens this would be a “new and unfolding” democracy, and with the new cabinet named it fell short of their expectations.
Now the citizens of Zimbabwe must wait to see if Mnangagwa was the right choice for the country.
