Former President R. G Mugabe
…Fear of prosecution, losing Gushungo Dairy gets the better of him
….Masvingo, other cities explode in celebration as frail dictator falls
…Grace ‘Gucci’ nowhere to be found
Upenyu Chaota
26-11-2017-Just like Napoleon Bonaparte who conquered Europe during his glory days but met his downfall at the battle of Waterloo after Allied forces joined hands to defeat him, Robert Mugabe met his demise after the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) put him under house arrest before his Zanu PF party expelled him over a spate of allegations.
On Tuesday, however, the beleaguered Mugabe finally gave in to pressure when he tendered his resignation to the National Assembly which had already sat to impeach him.
After his resignation, the country exploded in celebration, with soldiers being called to disperse hundreds of people who had blocked traffic at the Chicken Inn outlet along Robert Mugabe Road in the Masvingo CBD.
This was followed by his former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s return from South Africa on Wednesday where he had paid a courtesy call on President Jacob Zuma before heading back home.
Mnangagwa is due to be sworn in as Mugabe’s successor on Friday, November 24, 2017 if everything goes as per plan.
Mugabe, who had been declining to resign, is believed to have fought for the security of his family and that of his Gushungo Diary among his vast business empire during his negotiations with the military.
He is also said to have sought guarantees of full immunity for himself and his wife to make sure they do not face prosecution for their alleged crimes.
Political analyst Dr Davidson Mabweazara Mugodzwa said Mugabe had held on to power for selfish reasons because he was worried about the welfare of his young family and business empire in Mazowe.
“Mugabe feared losing Gushungo Diary and his other businesses in Mazowe. He has been looting for the past 37 years and he knew he might lose everything overnight. Mugabe was dealing with shrewd people therefore, he was not certain about the future of his family and businesses,” said Dr Mugodzwa.
“He is a multi-billionaire and has properties the world over and it is chiefly for this reason that Mugabe clung on to power and demanded a dignified exit which will allow him to keep all the stolen wealth,” he added.
Mugabe’s wife Grace and the G40 cabal that has been vocal when Emmerson Mnangagwa was dismissed from both government and Zanu PF, went into hiding in the short period leading to Mugabe’s resignation.
Another respected analyst Dr Takavafira Zhou said it was apparent that Mugabe would eventually lose and that is the reason why he wanted to negotiate his security as well as that of his family in Zimbabwe and beyond.
“Mugabe was initially stubborn because he was trying to negotiate his exit package as well as his security. He wanted to be assured that he will be safe either in Zimbabwe or elsewhere.
“It also took long because the army wanted to convince everyone that it was not a coup. The army wanted Mugabe to appoint Mnangagwa as his successor before he could leave,” said Dr Zhou.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said Mugabe feared that leaving office could be putting his wealth and family at risk.
“Mugabe has always been a stubborn politician and has always wanted things done his way. He feared that if he left power without safeguards, his relatively young family would be in trouble and all the wealth would go. People would start to target the Gushungo Dairy and all the land they have taken in Mazowe,” said Gutu.
National People’s Party (NPP) national spokesperson Jeffryson Chitando said there is no doubt Mugabe was thinking about the future of his wife and children.
“At his age, Mugabe does not think of himself but his family and its security. His family is used to lavish lifestyles at the expense of the generality of Zimbabweans and it is only fair if he returns some of the wealth which has been robbing from us.
“We cannot let him walk away with stolen wealth, no no. We need to know how he got all that wealth and everything has to be accounted for,” said Chitando.local
