<p>The head of Zimbabwe’s military looks set to be appointed vice president as the government said on Monday he would retire pending “redeployment” in what is seen as a reward for leading a de facto coup last month that ended Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule and brought Emmerson Mnangagwa to power.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-290705 size-full" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/zimbabwe_shutterstock_405855385-730x480.jpg" alt="" width="730" height="480" /></p>
<p>Mnangagwa has said he will fill the two vice presidential posts in the next few days and Constantino Chiwenga is the top contender in a reflection of the army’s consolidation of power since it turned against the 93-year-old Mugabe.</p>
<p>Mnangagwa has appointed several senior military officers to his cabinet and the ruling party’s executive Politburo since he was sworn in as president on Nov. 24. Army Commander Phillip Sibanda will succeed Chiwenga as defense forces chief, a government statement said.</p>
<p>“The appointment of Chiwenga&#8230;, which I think is inevitable, will be a confirmation that the military is a salient factor in the politics of the country,” said Eldred Masunungure, a political analyst at the University of Zimbabwe.</p>
<p>“It has always exercised its influence in a covert manner but now it’s quite overt and this will further consolidate that coalition between the military and the ruling political elite.”</p>
<p>Mnangagwa appointed Major General Edzai Chimonyo, Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Tanzania, to succeed Sibanda as army commander and promoted a number of other senior army officers to major general.</p>
<p>The government also announced the retirement of police chief Augustine Chihuri, an unpopular Mugabe loyalist who it said has been on leave since Dec. 15. Chihuri was accused by rights groups of presiding over crackdowns on dissent and popular protest in the 18 months before Mugabe was overthrown.</p>
<p>Zimbabwe’s economy collapsed in the latter half of Mugabe’s rule, especially after violent farm seizures of thousands of white-owned commercial farms.</p>
<p>Monday’s announcements came hours after army chiefs declared an end to their military intervention and handed back policing to civilian police.</p>
<p>“Normalcy has now returned to our country. It is for this reason that &#8230; we announce the end of Operation Restore Legacy today,” army chief Sibanda said, referring to the name of the intervention which the army said targeted criminals in Mugabe and his wife Grace’s entourage.</p>
<div></div>
<p>Civic groups have been urging the soldiers to leave the streets since Mnangagwa was sworn in to replace Mugabe as president of the southern African country on Nov. 24.</p>
<p>Mnangagwa is under pressure to revive the economy ahead of elections due next year which he said last Friday may be held sooner than expected. The elections are due by July 2018 but some say they may be as early as March.</p>
<div class="Attribution_attribution_o4ojT">
<p class="Attribution_content_27_rw">Reporting by Emelia Sithole-Matarise; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg</p>
</div>


Zimbabwe military chief looks set for vice presidency

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<p>Zimbabwe’s new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, appointed senior military officials to top posts in his new cabinet and chose a veteran cabinet minister to head the finance ministry.</p>


Mnangagwa, military share spoils of victory

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<p>IFP leader, Mangoshuthu Buthelezi also gave us his views on the unfolding situation in Zimbabwe and the trend of African leaders lingering long after the party is over. He joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


ANC helped prop up Mugabe’s govt past its sell-by date – Mangosuthu Buthelezi

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<p>Zimbabwe&#8217;s Robert Mugabe, who has resigned as president, leaves behind a ruined economy and Mnangagwa needs to apologise for allowing that to happen says  Zimbabwean entrepreneur and newspaper publisher, Trevor Ncube.</p>


Rebuilding Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa needs to apologise for what he allowed to happen in Zimbabwe – Trevor Ncube

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<p>Trevor Ncube, Zimbabwean businessman joins CNBC Africa to discuss the new economic promise for Zimbabwe beyond Robert Mugabe.</p>


Media has an important role to play in Zimbabwe – Trevor Ncube

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<p>Trevor Ncube, Zimbabwean businessman joins CNBC Africa to discuss the new economic promise for Zimbabwe beyond Robert Mugabe.</p>


Rebuilding Zimbabwe: We stand on an opportunity to push the reset button – Trevor Ncube

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<p>Trevor Ncube, Zimbabwean businessman joins CNBC Africa to discuss the new economic promise for Zimbabwe beyond Robert Mugabe.</p>


This is how Zimbabwe can woo businesses – Trevor Ncube

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<p>Former Zimbabwean finance minister, Tendai Biti speaks on what South Africa, can learn from Zimbabwe’s political turmoil.</p>


Former FinMin Biti: What SA can learn from Zimbabwe

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<p>The change we are seeing in Zimbabwe means the country has a fresh opportunity to kick-start and rebuild the economy and reintegrate internationally. Former Zimbabwean finance minister, Tendai Biti joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Zimbabwe needs a stamp of approval from IMF – Former FinMin Biti

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<p>The change we are seeing in Zimbabwe means the country has a fresh opportunity to kick-start and rebuild the economy and reintegrate internationally. Former Zimbabwean finance minister, Tendai Biti joins CNBC Africa to speak on the Zimbabwe-China relationship.</p>


We need to keep our relationship with China but change it – Zimbabwe’s ex-FinMin

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<p>Former Zimbabwean finance minister, Tendai Biti joins CNBC Africa to speak on the issue of Zimbabwe introducing its own currency in bid to stave off a cash flow crisis.</p>


How Zimbabwe can fix its currency – Former FinMin Biti

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<p>The change we are seeing in Zimbabwe means the country has a fresh opportunity to kick-start and rebuild the economy and reintegrate internationally.</p>


Reforming Zimbabwe’s economy will be painful – Former FinMin Biti

<p><em>Enock C. Mudzamiri | University of South Africa</em></p>
<p>November 2017 will go down in the history of Zimbabwe as the beginning of the end of Robert Mugabe’s 37 year tyranny. A tumultuous week finally culminated in his resignation on November 21st. One cannot understate the widespread jubilation at the demise of Mugabe and his desire to create a dynasty for himself through his wife Grace.</p>
<div id="attachment_291647" style="width: 860px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-291647" class="wp-image-291647 size-full" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Zim-Military_GettyImages.png" alt="" width="850" height="566" /><p id="caption-attachment-291647" class="wp-caption-text">Zimbabwe&#8217;s Commander Defense Forces General Constantino Guveya Chiwenga (C) speaks during a press conference at the Tongogara Barracks on November 20, 2017 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe&#8217;s Army chief Constantino Chiwenga said, on November 20, 2017, that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent deal over Mugabe&#8217;s exit. Chiwenga also said the president was in touch with Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ousted vice president whose sacking triggered the military takeover and Mugabe&#8217;s loss of power. Zimbabwe&#8217;s President Robert Mugabe came under increasing pressure to quit on November 20, 2017 as his ruling party said it would move to impeach him and the army revealed his likely successor would soon return to the country. / AFP PHOTO / Jekesai NJIKIZANA (Photo credit should read JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images)</p></div>
<p>But the optimism is misplaced because it doesn’t deal directly with the dearth of democracy in Zimbabwe.</p>
<p>First, contrary to popular sentiment that the coup was meant to usher in a new era of political liberalisation and democracy, the takeover is actually meant to deal with a succession crisis in Zanu-PF. The military made this clear when it said that it was dealing with criminals around Mugabe. And the party’s secretary for legal affairs Patrick Chinamasa indicated that removing Mugabe from the party’s Central Committee was an internal party matter.</p>
<p>Secondly, I would argue that the military resorted to a “smart coup” only after its preferred candidate to succeed Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was fired from the party and government.</p>
<p>The way in which the military has gone about executing its plan upends any conventional understanding of what constitutes a coup d&#8217;etat. It’s a “smart coup” in the sense that the military combined the frustrations of a restive population, internal party structures and international sympathy to remove a sitting president. It thereby gained legitimacy for an otherwise partisan and unconstitutional political act – toppling an elected government.</p>
<p>This begs the question: Is the military now intervening for the collective good or for its own interests?</p>
<h2>Why the military intervened</h2>
<p>It is baffling to imagine how the military has suddenly become the champion of democracy and regime change in Zimbabwe.</p>
<p>It’s clear that what motivated the military commanders was a fear of losing their jobs and influence after their preferred successor was purged. They launched a preemptive strike against Mugabe to safeguard their own selfish interests as a military class and the future of their careers.</p>
<p>Given the symbiotic relationship between the Zimbabwean military and the ruling Zanu-PF party, it was inevitable that the top commanders would be embroiled in the party’s succession crisis. After all, the military has been the key lever behind the power of both Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF since 1980.</p>
<p>In the past they have acted as part of the Zanu-PF machinery, openly campaigning for Mugabe alongside other security agencies.</p>
<p>And they have played a key role in neutralising political opponents. Back in the 1980s the military was responsible for the massacre of thousands of civilians and Zapu supporters in Matebeleland. More than two decades later in 2008 they were responsible for the torture, death and disappearance of 200 opposition activists and the maiming of hundreds more.</p>
<p>In addition, the UN has implicated Mnangagwa and the generals in the illegal plundering of resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have also been fingered in the disappearance of diamond revenues from Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields.</p>
<p>On top of this the military and Zanu-PF share a special relationship that has its roots in the liberation struggle. The Zimbabwe African National Union (Zanu) was the political wing of the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army (Zanla) during the liberation war. They therefore have vested interests in the survival of the party.</p>
<p>After independence, the relationship remained intact as the military became the guarantors of the revolution. Some of the same surviving commanders of Zanla are still senior high ranking officials. The commanders are also bona fide members of the ruling party and guarantors of Zanu-PF power.</p>
<p>The same securocrats are also members of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association. This quasi paramilitary group is an auxiliary association of the ruling party and has fiercely opposed Mugabe’s attempt to create a dynasty.</p>
<h2>Military must step aside</h2>
<p>Zimbabwe goes to the polls next July to choose a new president and parliament. The elections – if conducted in a credible way – will provide the next government with the legitimacy it needs to take the country out of its political and economic crises.</p>
<p>Now that Mugabe has resigned the hope is that the military will allow a genuinely democratic transition to take place. All political players, including opposition parties, would need to be incorporated into a broad-based transitional authority pending credible elections.</p>
<p>But for the elections to be credible, the transitional authority would need urgently to reform the electoral system. This would ensure Zimbabweans can freely and fairly choose their leaders. Without this, peace and prosperity will continue to elude Zimbabwe.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87712/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />In the long run, the military would do well to get out of politics instead of continuing to view itself as “stockholders” in the country’s political affairs because of its liberation struggle credentials.</p>
<p>This article was originally published on The Conversation.</p>


Op-Ed: Zimbabwe beware: the military is looking after its own interests, not democracy

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<p>Natalie P. Jabangwe, CEO of EcoCash Zimbabwe  and YPO Member discusses the revolution the company has created in financial inclusion in Zimbabwe and what it would like to see from an Mnangagwa-led government.</p>


Rebuilding Zimbabwe: EcoCash CEO on what it needs from Mnangagwa

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<p>Ted Galante, Managing Director of the Zimbabwe Mortgage Company discusses his outlook for Zimbabwe under a Mnangagwa-led government.</p>


If you plan to invest in Zimbabwe now is the time to do your due diligence

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<p>The forced resignation of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe should be a lesson for other leaders on the African continent says Independent Analyst, Ronak Gopaldas. He joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Mugabe’s ouster a fresh wake-up call to tyrants – Analyst

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<p>Former Zimbabwean vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa is the latest addition to those demanding President Mugabe to resign.</p>


Constantino Chiwenga

Zimbabwe military chief looks set for vice presidency

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Media has an important role to play in Zimbabwe – Trevor Ncube

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This is how Zimbabwe can woo businesses – Trevor Ncube

Former FinMin Biti: What SA can learn from Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe needs a stamp of approval from IMF – Former FinMin Biti

We need to keep our relationship with China but change it – Zimbabwe’s ex-FinMin

How Zimbabwe can fix its currency – Former FinMin Biti

Reforming Zimbabwe’s economy will be painful – Former FinMin Biti

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Rebuilding Zimbabwe: EcoCash CEO on what it needs from Mnangagwa

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Constantino Chiwenga

Zimbabwe military chief looks set for vice presidency

Mnangagwa, military share spoils of victory

ANC helped prop up Mugabe’s govt past its sell-by date – Mangosuthu Buthelezi

Rebuilding Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa needs to apologise for what he allowed to happen in Zimbabwe – Trevor Ncube

Media has an important role to play in Zimbabwe – Trevor Ncube

Rebuilding Zimbabwe: We stand on an opportunity to push the reset button – Trevor Ncube

This is how Zimbabwe can woo businesses – Trevor Ncube

Former FinMin Biti: What SA can learn from Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe needs a stamp of approval from IMF – Former FinMin Biti

We need to keep our relationship with China but change it – Zimbabwe’s ex-FinMin

How Zimbabwe can fix its currency – Former FinMin Biti

Reforming Zimbabwe’s economy will be painful – Former FinMin Biti

Op-Ed: Zimbabwe beware: the military is looking after its own interests, not democracy

Rebuilding Zimbabwe: EcoCash CEO on what it needs from Mnangagwa

If you plan to invest in Zimbabwe now is the time to do your due diligence

Mugabe’s ouster a fresh wake-up call to tyrants – Analyst

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