By Political Reporter –President Emmerson Mnangagwa made a suprise Question and Answer session in the National Assembly Wednesday—his first informal appearance since power infamously cut off during his State of the Nation Address months ago.
The unexpected visit, cloaked in language of democratic oversight, has sparked speculation about the President’s increasingly assertive presence in legislative affairs, especially in the wake of his calculated decimation of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Mnangagwa’s appearance comes after a sustained and highly controversial campaign to neutralize the opposition, spearheaded by political actor Sengezo Tshabangu. Tshabangu, who claimed to be the CCC’s interim secretary-general despite lacking clear constitutional or grassroots legitimacy within the party, authored a series of letters to Parliament leading to the recall of over 20 MPs and councillors closely aligned to Nelson Chamisa.
The recalls—rubberstamped by Speaker Jacob Mudenda without court confirmation or internal party inquiry—triggered by-elections that were swiftly won by candidates aligned to Mnangagwa’s ZANU PF or pliant CCC factions. Analysts argue that the move allowed Mnangagwa to manipulate the composition of Parliament, eroding checks and balances and tightening his grip over the legislature.
Now, with Parliament virtually devoid of Chamisa loyalists and Tshabangu widely seen as a proxy working in ZANU PF’s interests, Mnangagwa’s “surprise” attendance is being viewed as more than a democratic gesture. Rather, it is read as a victory lap in a House now overwhelmingly friendly to his administration.
Posting on his official X handle later that evening, Mnangagwa wrote:
“Today, I joined proceedings in the National Assembly to follow the Wednesday Question and Answer session. I found the deliberations insightful and affirming of our democratic processes.”
But critics see the move as ironic, if not disingenuous. “What democracy is he affirming when the opposition has been dismembered through parliamentary recalls and judicial capture?” asked one political analyst who declined to be named.
Speaker Mudenda, a long-time Mnangagwa ally, welcomed the visit:
“Members of the House, in terms of our Constitution, His Excellency the President is part of the legislature… There is also another reason he was around today—he was assessing aspects of the Parliament building vis-à-vis future developments.”
Mnangagwa’s visit to Parliament follows other unannounced appearances at major hospitals such as Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe Central, part of a new PR strategy aimed at portraying him as a hands-on, listening leader. While some have praised the initiative, critics argue these surprise tours are stage-managed and serve to distract from a collapsing public health system and growing authoritarianism.
Behind the optics lies a stark political reality: Zimbabwe’s Parliament is no longer a battleground of competing visions but a chamber increasingly dominated by one man’s political calculus. The opposition has been dismembered, the courts have been pliant, and Tshabangu’s mysterious rise marks one of the most successful acts of political sabotage in post-coup Zimbabwe.
As Mnangagwa tightens his control over every arm of the state, Wednesday’s parliamentary ambush may not have been about observing democracy—but demonstrating who now owns it.