THE FIGHT FOR POWER IS KILLING ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe once again feels like a country standing on the edge of chaos. The latest story is shocking but not surprising. Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, the same man who led the 2017 coup that brought Emmerson Mnangagwa to power, is now accusing his former ally Professor Jonathan Moyo of treason. The reason is a secret document said to suggest pushing the 2028 elections to 2035. But the truth is deeper than this one fight. It shows a political system that no longer cares about the people it should serve.

The fight between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga has nothing to do with the future of Zimbabwe. It is only about power. It is about selfish leaders who do not think about the suffering in the country. While they battle to control ZANU PF, millions of people are struggling. Prices go up every week. Hospitals have no medicine. Young people are running away from the country. Families break apart because of poverty and migration. But the leaders who should fix things are busy fighting over who will sit on the throne next.

The accusations against Moyo come just before the ZANU PF conference in Mutare. The conference is supposed to talk about the future of the nation, but we all know it is only a show of loyalty for Mnangagwa. Many rumours say his people want him to stay in power after 2028, even though the Constitution does not allow it. This is the same Constitution he pretends to respect. But can a man who came into power through a coup respect any law? The simple answer is no.

This so-called “Breaking Barriers Initiative” that Chiwenga calls treason may only be another trick in this long fight for power. Mnangagwa and Chiwenga have used these tricks before. They accuse rivals, call them criminals, and pretend to love the nation while they steal from the people. The same rich businessmen appear again and again: Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivhayo, Scott Sakupwanya, Delish Nguwaya. They live large while the ordinary person cannot even afford bread. They are not helping Zimbabwe. They are draining it.

This fight at the top will not bring any good. It will only make life harder. Every time ZANU PF fights inside itself, the people suffer. We saw it in 2008. We saw it in 2017. And we see it again today. When these powerful men clash, the economy falls. The poor pay the price. South Africa is already full of Zimbabweans running away from hunger and hopelessness. How many more must leave before someone in power cares?

Chiwenga and Moyo were once close. They shared power and privilege. Now they accuse each other of betraying the nation. But the truth is that both have betrayed Zimbabwe in different ways. Chiwenga removed Mugabe not to save the people, but to protect himself. Moyo once spoke against ZANU PF, then later returned to the same system that destroyed the nation. Now they fight like wild dogs over a carcass — and that carcass is Zimbabwe.

People are tired. We are tired of lies. Tired of greed. Tired of being used as tools in the power games of selfish men. Every time we hope for change, we get the same old leaders making the same empty promises. They say “Zimbabwe will rise,” but the country keeps sinking.

Zimbabwe needs real change. It needs leaders who care about the people, not their own pockets. The Mutare conference may help Mnangagwa hold more power, but even powerful men cannot escape the truth forever. People do not stay silent forever.

Zimbabwe is burning. The same leaders who caused the fire are now fighting over the ashes. But one day, the people will rise. And from the smoke, a new Zimbabwe will be born.