Emmerson Mnangagwa is scared of another coup. He helped lead the 2017 coup, and he survived a secret one in 2019. Now he is fighting Vice President Constantino Chiwenga for power. He is changing the army, removing commanders, and giving gifts to keep soldiers on his side. This is not leadership. It is fear.
This week he handed more than 100 cars to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. He said it is part of a plan to give the army 700 vehicles, including cars and buses, to help it “move better.” But many people believe this is a way to keep soldiers happy and stop them from backing Chiwenga. When a president must buy loyalty, it means the system is rotten.
Mnangagwa has also been removing top military commanders. Some were pushed out, some were sidelined, and others died mysteriously. This has created tension inside ZANU PF and raised fear of another power grab before the 2028 elections.
Mnangagwa and Chiwenga worked together in 2017 to remove Robert Mugabe. Today they want to replace each other. Chiwenga was the army boss for 14 years and fought in the liberation war. Mnangagwa also has a military background and was once Defence Minister. Both men are using army ties to fight for power, while the people are left with hardship.
Next month ZANU PF has a big meeting in Mutare. It is not an election meeting, but it matters. Mnangagwa’s supporters want to push for a third term. They want him to stay until 2030, even though the constitution says 2028 is the last year. This is the ZANU PF habit: twist rules to protect one man.
Mnangagwa is working hard to block Chiwenga before the 2027 party congress, where a new leader could be chosen. His plan is coup-proofing. He changes army leadership, gives gifts, and watches soldiers closely. He creates new security teams so they watch each other. He stops any group from planning secretly.
He promotes people who are loyal to him, not those who are best. This can make the army weak, but loyal. He changes jobs often so officers cannot build strong networks. He even puts army people into civilian jobs to control government better. Zimbabwe’s politics is now run by men in uniform.
He also uses big words about patriotism, the liberation war, and civilian rule to trap soldiers into obedience. He tells them to protect the Republic, not to ask for better pay. Mugabe used the same tricks and still fell. Mnangagwa is copying Mugabe by giving cars, money, and fancy jobs to generals.
He is also using tribalism. People get positions in the army not because they are good, but because they come from the same area or ethnic group. This helps him control the army, but it divides the nation.
Since 2017 Mnangagwa has broken Chiwenga’s hold on the army. He removed many generals who helped him rise. General Anselem Sanyatwe was sent to Tanzania, then made Minister of Sports, after fears of a coup in March 2025. The army has had five leaders in eight years. Under Mugabe there was one for 14 years. That shows instability.
Mnangagwa has also placed army people in the police and intelligence. Civilian jobs are being militarised. ZANU PF stays in power because of the army. Without it, it would be gone. That is why Mnangagwa keeps changing the army and rewarding it. He is trying to make sure they never remove him like they removed Mugabe.
But the more he buys generals, the more he admits ZANU PF cannot win without guns. Zimbabwe deserves true civilian rule, not car gifts and fear.