bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-… This display of military power in Harare reflects deep divides within the ruling ZANU-PF government over the possibility of President Emmerson Mnangagwa extending his term until 2030. But I don’t think it is a coup, YET 🧵thread🧵 - ThreadSky

africatakes.bsky.social • 3 days ago

https://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-…

This display of military power in Harare reflects deep divides within the ruling ZANU-PF government over the possibility of President Emmerson Mnangagwa extending his term until 2030.

But I don’t think it is a coup, YET

🧵thread🧵

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africatakes.bsky.social•3 days ago

Mnangagwa and his allies have over recent month been ramping up efforts to generate popular support for the president to extend his term until 2030. However, after two terms of sustained economic mismanagement and limited progress in getting western states to drop sanctions,

africatakes.bsky.social•3 days ago

patience is running out with Mnangagwa, particularly from his vice president Constantino Chiwenga (he was instrumental in removing Mugabe and likely wants to secure the presidency himself at some point), the army and ZANU-PF veterans.

africatakes.bsky.social•3 days ago

This resistance has been sufficient to force Mnangagwa to publicly state that he won’t extend his term. However there was little confidence he would commit to this promise and many suspected he would continue to covertly use his allies to push for an extension.

africatakes.bsky.social•3 days ago

It’s possible that this attempt to placate his critics has been interpreted as a recognition of his vulnerability, and so Chiwenga has used his influence in the military to demonstrate to Mnangagwa very clearly, the consequences of trying to extend his power again.

africatakes.bsky.social•3 days ago

Chiwenga likely suspects that tanks in the streets of Harare will sufficiently evoke memories of Mugabe’s fall that Mnangagwa will get the picture about where power really lies. But will he? Mnangagwa still has allies and he will likely be concerned that when his term

africatakes.bsky.social•3 days ago

expires the current allegations and rumours of corruption will transform into legal charges. So quietly agitating and mobilising for greater power might be too tempting to resist. However, if he is unsuccessful, the next time we see tanks in Harare, they won’t be for display.

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