Yesterday, a curious and concerning sight unfolded along Borrowdale Road in Harare, the very street that houses Zimbabwe House, State House, and the military headquarters, Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks.
Around twenty armored military vehicles were seen moving down the road, sparking immediate speculation and anxiety among Zimbabweans.
In response to mounting questions, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Nick Mangwana, assured the public via social media that the sighting was part of a “scheduled exercise to test equipment.”
This explanation did little to quell fears, as the image of military vehicles on the streets stirred memories of the November 2017 military coup that ousted former president Robert Mugabe.
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In 2017, just before the coup, similar armored vehicles had been seen entering Harare, accompanied by official statements reassuring the public that everything was normal.
However, what followed was a swift and unconstitutional change in leadership, as the military intervened to settle a bitter internal power struggle within the ruling ZANU-PF party.
The current situation, with its political rivalries between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, has only fueled suspicions that another military intervention might be on the horizon.
The rivalry between the factions loyal to Mnangagwa and Chiwenga has escalated, particularly as Mnangagwa’s supporters push for constitutional amendments to allow him to extend his presidency beyond the constitutionally mandated two five-year terms.
On the other hand, Chiwenga’s camp, which includes some liberation war veterans, is vehemently opposed to this move and has called for Mnangagwa’s resignation.
Given Chiwenga’s ties to the military as a former Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, many Zimbabweans were quick to speculate that the sighting of military vehicles signaled the escalation of this political rivalry, potentially leading to another coup.
However, the response from the public was noteworthy.
Despite the usual fear and suspicion that accompanies such events, many Zimbabweans seemed almost indifferent or even welcoming to the presence of the military.
This reaction mirrored the initial excitement that greeted the military intervention in 2017, when large crowds flooded the streets of Harare, hopeful for a new political dawn after decades of hardship under Mugabe’s regime.
The excitement that accompanied the military intervention in 2017 was understandable.
After 37 years of economic devastation, political repression, and electoral manipulation, many Zimbabweans had grown disillusioned with democratic processes that had repeatedly failed them.
The military’s involvement, though unconstitutional, seemed like the only viable route to end Mugabe’s rule and bring about change.
The hope of a fresh start was palpable, as the new leadership, under Mnangagwa, promised to bring democracy, human rights, and economic revival to a country ravaged by mismanagement and corruption.
However, the optimism that followed the coup quickly dissipated.
As it became clear, the military’s intervention was not about the people but rather a factional battle within ZANU-PF.
The real beneficiaries of the coup were the Mnangagwa faction, which the military supported, and not the citizens who hoped for a better future.
The so-called “Second Republic,” which emerged from the military-backed regime change, has done little to alleviate the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans.
In fact, the situation has only worsened.
Poverty, which affected around 85% of the population in 2019, has risen to approximately 90% today.
Corruption, instead of being eradicated, has worsened, with Zimbabwe’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) dropping from 24 out of 100 in 2019 to a shocking 21 out of 100 in 2024.
Zimbabwe under the “Second Republic” has become more corrupt than it was a few years ago.
These grim statistics point to a troubling reality: the hopes of a better Zimbabwe after the 2017 coup were unfounded.
The military’s intervention did nothing to address the root causes of the country’s economic decline and political repression.
So, when news broke of more military vehicles being deployed in Harare, some Zimbabweans, who had endured years of suffering, were once again excited by the prospect of change.
However, this excitement should be tempered with caution.
If Zimbabwe were to experience another coup against Mnangagwa, there is little reason to believe that ordinary Zimbabweans would see any meaningful change.
A mere replacement of one ZANU-PF leader with another offers no hope for the people.
The military’s involvement in politics has consistently been about internal power struggles within the ruling party, not about the welfare of the citizens.
Zimbabweans should be wary of being manipulated and used once again to further ZANU-PF’s factional battles.
I even warned about this in my articles written at the time in 2017.
A few years later, I’m tempted to say, “I told you so,” but that would serve no purpose.
The lessons of 2017 should not be forgotten.
What Zimbabwe needs is not merely another military intervention, but a genuine transformation in the way the country is governed.
A change in government should involve the establishment of a transitional authority that can lead the country toward meaningful reforms.
This transitional authority should include representatives from all sectors of Zimbabwean society—government, opposition, the church, civil society, labor, business, and other interest groups.
Its mandate should be clear: to revive the economy, fight corruption, implement electoral and political reforms, strengthen state institutions, and ensure that the fear instilled in Zimbabweans over decades of repression is replaced by hope and trust in democratic processes.
It is understandable that Zimbabweans may feel a sense of excitement or even hope at the sight of military vehicles, given the country’s troubled history.
However, without a clear plan for meaningful change, it would be foolish for any Zimbabwean to celebrate the prospect of another coup.
What the country needs is not a change of one ZANU-PF leader for another but a genuine and comprehensive transformation that benefits all Zimbabweans, not just the elites or those aligned with the current power structures.
Zimbabwe is a rich country, but its wealth has not been equitably distributed.
It is high time that the country’s resources begin to benefit the majority of its people, who have endured too much for too long.
The only way forward is through a genuine, inclusive process that prioritizes the welfare of all Zimbabweans and ensures that power is no longer held by a small, self-interested elite.
Until then, the people must be cautious and wise, refusing to be duped into supporting another empty regime change that offers no real benefit to their lives.
Only genuine change can bring about the Zimbabwe that its citizens deserve.
TENDAI RUBEN MBOFANA - THE UN-OPPRESSED MIND! 