Recent pictures of Robert Mugabe in the media clearly portrayed that the man has been wearing a countenance that clearly showed he was bitter about his overthrow from power last November. In his first coherent chat with newsmen since he was shoved out of office, the former Zimbabwean dictator, confirmed the general impression.
Mugabe described his removal from office as a “coup d’etat” that “we must undo”. But he did not sound convincing. The 94-year old man regretted the way the military planned and executed his overthrow. Perhaps, the thing that annoyed him the most was that the army allowed the man he sacked – Emmerson Mnangagwa – to assume power after he was forced to resign.
Talking to no one in particular, the fallen hero blurted out, “We must undo this disgrace which we have imposed on ourselves, we don’t deserve it… Zimbabwe doesn’t deserve it.” Although he said he did not hate his successor, interim President Mnangagwa, but Mugabe alleged that the man had “betrayed the whole nation”. The ousted leader insisted he would not work with Mnangagwa and suggested that his presidency was “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.
However, political observers feel Mugabe was being hypocritical when he said that, “People must be chosen in government in a proper way. I’m willing to discuss, willing to assist in that process — but I must be invited”. Here was a dictator who shunned all rules and regulations about elections for four decades and now wants to be made a consultant on good governance.
However, an analyst at the Johannesburg-based Political Economy Southern Africa think-tank, Gideon Chitanga, has described Mugabe’s latest statements as significant “coming just before elections”. Presidential polls are due by the end of August, this year, and Mnangagwa will contest under the ruling ZANU-PF platform.
It is believed that Mugabe’s media appearance was organised by the new National Patriotic Front, NPF, which hopes to defeat Mnangagwa and form a new government after the polls.
