Even when a coup is the worst approach to solving the Zimbabwe political crisis, I believe Mr Robert Mugabe had abused the fabric of democratic system and thus deserved to be uprooted from office of the president by any means possible including the use of military, in order to rescue the dying democracy and restore sanity in the governance of the country.
One man cannot be a democracy, as it were, in Zimbabwe under Mugabe. Democracy is a system of government involving the people.
To this extent, I applaud the intervention of the military while I urge the military whom I am sure are on a rescue mission to ensure a smooth transition to a democratically elected government in Zimbabwe within a record time.
Mugabe, 93-years old, had announced his intention to contest the 2018 presidential elections, saying: “Only God can remove him from office,” after holding onto power for 37 years. He became the first prime minister of Zimbabwe in 1980, as the country was established out of the former British colony of Rhodesia.
Again, there is a wide speculation in Zimbabwe after Mugabe fired his vice president, Emmerson Nnangagwa, last week, that he wants to handover to his wife, Grace Mugabe, 52 years, who is the woman leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party.
After soldiers overran the headquarters of the ZBC broadcaster, Maj Gen Sibusiso Moyo went on air to say the military wished to “assure the nation that His Excellency the President… and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed.
“We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes… that are causing social and economic suffering in the country.
“As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy,” Moyo said.
My conclusion is, this military action should send a strong warning signal to other sit tight African leaders who have monopolised democracy in their respective country that one day; “monkey will go to the market but it will not return.”
*Franklyn Isong is a public affairs commentator
