Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa recently declared at a gathering in Gweru that the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) would never surrender power to the opposition.
He made a statement reminiscent of those made by the military in the early and middle 2000s, when the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), led by Morgan Tsvangirayi, was gaining popularity. ZANU-PF leaders, security officials, and war veterans have often said that Zimbabwe will never be ruled by individuals or political parties that did not take part in the war for independence.
Since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980, ZANU-PF has remained in power, and attempts by opposition political parties to lead Zimbabwe have been thwarted. The party has employed numerous strategies to keep its hold on power.
In 2008, ZANU-PF lost to Morgan Tsvangirayi's MDC; nevertheless, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared a rerun since Mr. Tsvangirayi did not receive the necessary percentage of the vote to be proclaimed the winner.
Following the disputed 2008 elections, the Government of National Unit (GNU) was established, and Morgan Tsvangirayi was appointed prime minister. This is how close the opposition has gotten to taking control of Zimbabwe.
The stakes in Zimbabwe's next elections are extremely high. Political parties are already in the middle of their campaigns, and Nelson Chamisa's Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the largest opposition party in Zimbabwe, is growing in support, particularly among young people. Mnangagwa and his ZANU-PF colleagues have been rattled by the fact that CCC is becoming more popular in regions that the ruling party typically dominates.
President Mnangagwa has failed to revive Zimbabwe's economy since taking office in November 2017 following the coup that toppled Robert Mugabe. Mnangagwa is unpopular with the young people, particularly those in the opposition who have compared him to Ian Smith's Rhodesian colonialist rule.
Mnangagws was enraged by these analogies to the Ian Smith administration, which prompted him to label the opposition's backers as sellouts. "Whites left behind their remnants, who wish to incite violence and turmoil in the nation, after we defeated them in a protracted war for independence, will deal with them." Mnangagwa declared,
"The only party with a history and a legacy for this nation is ZANU-PF. We won't let zvimbwasungata (sellouts) take control of this nation. The freedom, liberation, independence, and sovereignty we currently enjoy as a nation came with a price. Our current respect and dignity as a people resulted from certain sons and daughters who gave up their lives and limbs to secure our independence," Mnangagwa added.
Mnangagwa's remarks come at a time when the country is experiencing an increase in politically motivated violence across the nation, which has seen four CCC supporters killed since March, including one who was stabbed at a rally in Kwekwe, Midlands province.
These remarks and the atmosphere in the country suggest that the ZANU-PF is ready to use any means necessary to maintain its position of power. Their primary tactic is to use violence to frighten people into voting for them.