By Bornface Masilo| It has now been three years since President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed office following the disputed 2018 elections. Despite his promises of reform and a new political and economic trajectory, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
Opposition leaders and human rights defenders continue to face arbitrary arrests, abductions, and torture. The judiciary remains a tool for silencing dissent, serving as a weapon against those who challenge the Mnangagwa administration.
In the period leading to the 2008 Presidential elections run-off pitting the then opposition MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Zanu PF’s Robert Mugabe, state security agents with the help of war veterans and party youths unleashed violence resulting in the death of hundreds of opposition supporters.
I witnessed this violence firsthand, opposition supporters being tortured, displaced and some even disappearing after being abducted by the Zanu PF activists and state security agents. I can safely say, Zimbabwe should have moved away from that dark past into the new era but Mnangagwa chose to remain on the same path for his selfish interests.
Corruption remains rampant, with many cases linking back to the President and his inner circle. Meanwhile, the economy has shown no meaningful improvement—civil servants still earn far below the poverty datum line, and the local currency continues to depreciate under relentless inflationary pressure.
These issues are not new; Zimbabwe has been trapped in a cycle of economic mismanagement and political repression since the early 2000s. Mnangagwa, upon taking over from Robert Mugabe, pledged to chart a new path, branding his leadership as a “new dispensation.” Many Zimbabweans, hopeful for change, were willing to give him a chance.
However, with each passing day of inaction on the country’s deep-rooted socio-economic and political crises, that trust has eroded—both locally and internationally. Mnangagwa has proven that ZANU PF, much like a leopard, never changes its spots.
The party remains synonymous with corruption, power drunkenness, and self-serving leadership. Its politicians have long abandoned the oath to serve the people, only remembering them during election seasons.
Since assuming office, Mnangagwa has prioritized his family and close allies—figures such as Wicknell Chivhayo and Scott Sakupwanya—who thrive under his protection despite their controversial dealings. Ordinary Zimbabweans, on the other hand, continue to suffer, with their needs consistently ignored until election time.
His administration has done little to improve the livelihoods of the people, particularly civil servants who keep the country running.
With elections just two years away, Zimbabweans must make a decisive choice. Mnangagwa has demonstrated beyond doubt that ZANU PF, in all its forms, remains the same. Whether under Mugabe, Mnangagwa, or any future leader, the party’s governance will not change. There is no justification for giving ZANU PF another chance when history has proven time and again that they will not deliver. A government free from ZANU PF’s grip offers the only real possibility of change.
Mnangagwa had the opportunity to break from Mugabe’s legacy but instead chose the same oppressive and corrupt path. His tenure is set to be remembered as an extension—if not a worsening—of Mugabe’s rule. A second term under his leadership would drag Zimbabwe further backward while the rest of the world moves forward.
Mnangagwa does not deserve another mandate. The people of Zimbabwe entrusted him with leadership in 2018, but he has demonstrated that he knows no governance beyond the authoritarian model of his predecessor. It is time for him to follow Mugabe—not just in leadership style, but in stepping away from the running of this country altogether.
Bornface Masilo is a political activist based in Harare and can be contacted on [email protected]