Source: The Zimbabwean
The myth of coup-proofing in Zimbabwe’s unpredictable politics.
The theories have been swirling, and I couldn’t resist adding my own.
The appointment of former Major General, now Lieutenant General, Walter Tapfumanei as the new Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has ignited a fresh round of political analysis.
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He steps Into the role vacated by General Emmanuel Matutu, who at seventy-three years old has been elevated to lead the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, replacing General Phillip Valerio Sibanda after his retirement.
As always in Zimbabwean politics, the question is not simply about military reshuffles.
It is about power – who wields it, who fears losing it, and who is preparing for the next confrontation in the long and often treacherous contest for control of the state.
Many observers quickly concluded that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had just pulled off a strategic masterstroke, a decisive move to “coup-proof” himself by placing a trusted ally at the top of the army.
Under this interpretation, the promotion of Tapfumanei, long associated with intelligence work and reportedly central to the controversial FAZ machinery in the 2023 elections, was a calculated effort to break any lingering perception of military sympathy towards Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
For years, Chiwenga has been rumoured to harbour presidential ambitions, and he is widely believed to retain significant influence within sections of the military that he once commanded.
To some analysts, therefore, Mnangagwa’s reshuffle – which also shifts Tapfumanei back into the military structure where he could soon be promoted further to ZDF Commander – was a bold checkmate.
But such conclusions, although tempting, fail to grasp the deeper lessons of Zimbabwe’s political past.
Anyone who imagines that placing allies at the top of the army constitutes genuine coup-proofing is being dangerously naïve.
Zimbabwe’s political history, like much of Africa’s, has repeatedly proven that there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics – only permanent interests.
