A COUNTRY HELD HOSTAGE BY FEAR, POWER AND MONEY

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is now facing the biggest test of his rule. As the Zanu PF conference comes in October, he must decide if he will force his 2030 plan on the country or not. He can call for a referendum, maybe even two, to try and stay longer. He can use Parliament to delay the 2028 elections. Or he can leave office in 2028 as the Constitution says. All these choices are dangerous for him. A referendum can fail and embarrass him. Delaying elections can create a national crisis. Leaving in 2028 means he will lose control of what happens after he steps down.

Mnangagwa always says he respects the Constitution and will not stay beyond 2028. But last year, he pushed Zanu PF to pass a plan that allows him to extend his term. This shows he is not being honest. He wants to stay. But he also knows he can lose everything if he makes the wrong move. His fear is not just about losing power. His fear is what will happen to him and his family when he is no longer president.

His main worry is Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. Chiwenga helped him take power in 2017, but now their relationship is broken. Mnangagwa fears that if Chiwenga becomes president, he will punish him. He thinks Chiwenga may take his wealth, arrest his family and destroy his legacy. This fear is common in Zimbabwean politics. Leaders do not trust the next person. They know that power in Zimbabwe is personal. There is no safety once you leave office. This is why fights for power are always hard and bloody.

Tribe also plays a big part. Mnangagwa and his Karanga group do not want a Zezuru leader after Mugabe. Chiwenga is Zezuru. This makes the battle even more bitter. Zimbabweans are told that tribe does not matter, but behind closed doors, it shapes many decisions.

While the fight continues, a new person is entering the game quietly. Businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei is now being talked about as a possible future leader. He says he does not want to be president. But people close to him say he believes his money can buy him the top job. Tagwirei is one of the richest men in the country. He controls fuel deals, state contracts and many key businesses. He is loyal to Mnangagwa and depends on the system that protects him.

But Tagwirei has never held any political office. He did not fight in the liberation struggle. He has no record of serving the people. If he somehow becomes president, it would be one of the most dangerous things Zimbabwe has ever faced. It would mean that politics is now fully taken over by money. A man with no public mandate or accountability would run a broken state like a personal business. Ordinary people would suffer even more.

Zanu PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa is also trying to place himself in the mix, although he denies wanting the presidency. And General Philip Valerio Sibanda, the army chief, is also being prepared by Mnangagwa as another option. Mnangagwa even tried to put Sibanda into the Zanu PF politburo last year, but he was stopped because the move was illegal.

Power is shifting from old liberation leaders to soldiers and businessmen. Chiwenga wants power at any cost. Sibanda may rise if Mnangagwa decides he is safer than Chiwenga. But the most dangerous threat is Tagwirei. If he becomes president, Zimbabwe will fall under the rule of a businessman funded by looting. It will be a silent coup led by money, not guns. As activists and citizens, we must resist this with everything we have.