Coup Fears As Mnangagwa Chairs Final Cabinet Meeting – Eduzim News

By Political Reporter-President Emmerson Mnangagwa Tuesday chaired his last Cabinet meeting for 2024, ahead of his annual leave set to begin in January 2025.

  Information Ministry spokesperson Nick Mangwana made this announcement via X (formerly Twitter):

“Today, His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa @edmnangagwa is chairing the final meeting of the 2024 Cabinet Calendar Year, at State House in Harare.”

Mangwana did not disclose the exact start date of Mnangagwa’s leave.

Mnangagwa’s approach to his annual holiday contrasts his predecessor, the late Robert Mugabe, who routinely spent his holidays in Singapore.

The late great leader would religiously leave governance entirely in the hands of his deputies during his vacation. 

Mnangagwa, however, has consistently opted to remain in the country since taking office after the 2017 coup he engineered and ousted Mugabe. 

Even during his leave, Mnangagwa has been seen engaging in official duties—a sign, critics allege, of his lingering insecurity about stepping away from the reins of power.

The rivalry between Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, has fueled speculation about the President’s cautious behaviour. 

Chiwenga, the former army general who led the 2017 coup, has been widely perceived as harbouring presidential ambitions. 

Reports of internal Zanu PF power struggles and factionalism have only heightened fears of another coup.

While Mnangagwa enjoys control over the ruling party’s machinery, Chiwenga’s military connections remain a source of tension. 

Mnangagwa’s reluctance to leave the country for extended periods reflects his awareness of these underlying threats.

Zimbabwe’s political history is rife with coups and political manoeuvring. 

Mugabe himself maintained an iron grip on the military to prevent threats to his rule, a lesson Mnangagwa seems to have taken to heart. 

Analysts argue that Mnangagwa’s insistence on staying within the country, even during personal time, is a calculated move to mitigate the risks of a potential power grab.

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