Zimbabwe News Update
nehandaradio
2 min read
action speaks louder than words. in recent years, zimbabwe has witnessed an almost comical surge in the formation of groups identifying themselves as “4 ed” or “for ed.” although the acronym supposedly stands for “economic development,” it is an open secret that the “ed” in question actually refers to emmerson dambudzo — the initials of president mnangagwa himself. the real purpose of these groups, therefore, is not to advance the country’s economic development but to publicly pledge loyalty to the president as an individual, often with the expectation of material benefits in return. at last count, there were said to be over 50 of these “4 ed” formations across the country — among them young women 4 ed, pastors 4 ed, vendors 4 ed, men believed, and pensioners 4 ed.
in recent weeks, even more absurd ones have emerged, such as topsoup 4 ed, hitmakers 4 ed, and prisoners 4 ed. the sheer number and ridiculous nature of some of these groups have made zimbabweans wonder whether the country has lost all sense of seriousness. what started as a political gimmick has now turned into an embarrassing national circus. beyond the comic relief these formations may provide, there are serious political undertones to their proliferation. within the ruling zanu-pf party itself, many observers view the mushrooming of “4 ed” groups as the creation of parallel structures meant to consolidate mnangagwa’s personal grip on power.
this has been interpreted as a sign of deep mistrust within the party, particularly towards those perceived to be loyal to vice president constantino chiwenga — who is said to be opposed to mnangagwa’s alleged ambition to extend his rule beyond 2028. these “4 ed” affiliates thus serve as instruments of factional politics, reinforcing loyalty to mnangagwa the man, rather than zanu-pf or zimbabwe as a nation.
