Sybeth Musengezi is a smart tortoise in Zanu PF, but who put him up there?

Having listened to Sybeth Musengezi, the man who lodged a court application challenging President Emerson Mnangagwa’s legitimacy as ZANU PF leader, here are a few observations:

1. We were not far off at the BSR when we suggested there are several signs of trouble in House Mnangagwa. Musengezi is a smart, articulate & well-prepared chap. He has done his homework. But he’s NOT a lone wolf.
2. He’s a well-trained proverbial tortoise on a fence post, but not even the smartest tortoise can climb to the top of the post on its own. Someone helps it to get up there. An application like this would have taken several meetings of well-organised people to plan and execute. Musengezi has a strong team around him.
3. Other tortoises usually lend their name to an application & remain in the background. They have no voice, even when they are challenging individuals without state power. It’s more than bravery for Musengezi to take up such a public platform as the SABC. What is the reason?
4. Those behind the smart tortoise have a multi-pronged strategy which includes a media assault on Mnangagwa’s legitimacy. They know the legal route is unpredictable so they have to fight him in the court of public opinion. Ndaba Mangwana cannot survive round 1 with Musengezi!

5. Apart from things highlighted in the BSR, there has been a string of negative publicity around Mnangagwa, with images of him failing to connect with or being shunned by children taking the limelight. Those images come from within & they are designed to show rejection.
6. “Dog whistling” is when someone says something that might not be heard by everyone but is only understood by a few because it’s directed at them. In this case, the political message is: i. You’re no longer wanted; ii. Let’s have a Congress iii. You’re going to be challenged.
7. This is a direct response to the mainstream message that Mnangagwa must be given 5 more years. Some of his comrades clearly do not agree. They are resisting. As @NewsHawksLive revealed a few weeks ago, he is facing legitimacy challenges within his party.
8. But why now? One theory is that by insisting on another term, Mnangagwa is repudiating an agreement with his coup comrades. People like Chiwenga did not risk their lives carrying out a coup in order to be permanent handmaidens. They also want power.
9. Another theory is that the authors of the coup realise they made a grave error and they want to undo parts of the coup. I don’t think even they foresaw the egregious looting, incompetence & selfishness of the regime which is largely clan-based. However, this theory may be too generous. If they want to undo parts of the coup, the main end is to get their share of power.
10. All being said and done, this is an internal power struggle in ZANU PF. Neither side has a genuine interest in the welfare of citizens. The opposition has no bone in this & it has no business getting lured into it. If it does, it risks being used & dumped once again like 2017.

WaMagaisa