By Political Reporter -Today marks eight years since the dramatic military coup that ended Zimbabwe’s long-serving leader, President Robert Mugabe’s 37-year reign in November 2017.
While officially dubbed Operation Restore Legacy, the coup is remembered by many for its brutal undercurrents—violence against state agents and intimidation of journalists—details that were hushed at the time but linger as a dark stain on Zimbabwe’s history.
The day began with unprecedented violence. Several members of the secret police and uniformed officers were killed by soldiers for resisting the coup.
At the state broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) headquarters, soldiers unleashed terror on reporters and presenters, beating them and threatening them with death if they reported the brutalities.
After taking control of the premises, they raided TV and radio facilities to facilitate the military’s coup announcement.
In the early hours of the day, Major General Sibusiso Moyo, later the coup’s public face, appeared on ZBC television, his tone calm but his message resolute.
He declared the military’s intervention, framing it as a necessary step to address the country’s worsening political and economic crises. “Following the address we made on November 13, 2017, which we believe our main broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, and The Herald were directed not to publicize, the situation in our country has moved to another level,” Moyo stated.
Behind his words lay scenes of chaos and violence that would never make the headlines.
The coup was the culmination of deep-seated tensions within the ruling Zanu PF party.
It centered on a bitter factional struggle between the G40 faction, aligned with Mugabe’s wife Grace, and the Lacoste faction, led by then-Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Grace Mugabe’s rapid rise in Zimbabwean politics alienated many, including the military.
When Mnangagwa was unceremoniously dismissed as Vice President in early November 2017, it became the tipping point.
Under General Constantino Chiwenga’s leadership, the military stepped in, claiming to prevent a “dynastic takeover” by the Mugabe family.
Despite the military’s insistence that their actions were not a coup, the message was clear.
Images of tanks stationed across Harare and soldiers patrolling strategic points left no doubt that power had shifted from Mugabe’s grasp.
Under mounting pressure from the military, Zanu PF, and an exhausted public, Mugabe resigned on November 21, 2017, just as impeachment proceedings began in Parliament.
Initially, the coup sparked hope for a brighter future. Mnangagwa, inaugurated on November 24, 2017, pledged a “new dispensation” marked by democratic reforms, economic recovery, and reconciliation.
For many Zimbabweans, the end of Mugabe’s rule felt like a fresh start.
Yet eight years later, those promises remain unfulfilled. Mnangagwa’s administration has faced mounting criticism for corruption, human rights abuses, and economic stagnation.
The same military that orchestrated Mugabe’s removal has entrenched itself as a powerful player in civilian governance, raising questions about the balance of power in Zimbabwe.
The divisions within Zanu PF remain, and periodic tensions between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga reflect unresolved power struggles.
For journalists and those who witnessed the violence firsthand, the legacy of the coup is one of fear and trauma.
Soldiers’ threats at ZBC, and the broader intimidation of the press, underscored the dangers faced by those tasked with reporting the truth.
As Zimbabwe reflects on November 2017, opinions remain divided.
For some, the coup symbolizes liberation from Mugabe’s authoritarianism.
For others, it is a grim reminder that toppling one ruler is not enough to dismantle entrenched systems of power, corruption, and violence.
The events of that day reshaped Zimbabwe’s political landscape, but the ultimate question lingers: Has the country turned a corner, or was the coup merely a reshuffling of power within the same oppressive system?