Mugabe’s final victory: Last kicks of a dying horse

In his first speech since stepping down, Mugabe vowed he would not vote for his tormenters.

At Fort Hare, the Zimbabwean flag that had been flying at half-mast for a week gave up.

It became business as usual at Robert Mugabe’s alma mater.

Back home, somewhere in the corridors of power in Harare, between Munhumutapa offices and the Blue Roof, Mugabe’s private residence, talks for a mega deal were on-going.

ED wanted Mugabe’s remains at the national shrine – the heroes Acre. The First family wanted Mugabe home, in Zvimba. Mugabe was refusing to be buried.

For twenty one days Mugabe held the government at ransom. His burial place remained a riddle. Lying in his monumental Chinese designed Blue Roof, in an exquisite casket he was ruling from the grave. Oops, from the coffin.

To contain Mugabe’s last show of power, ED went helter skelter bidding for a bargain. But as with many of his gambits, he misfired. Mugabe could not be his jackpot. Even in death.

The one million mausoleum, still failed to do the magic.

Whilst ED and team were in a frenzy head-scratching enigma, Mugabe was enjoying a fête of praise and worship sessions within Zimbabwe and beyond.

In South Africa, the ANC held a memorial in KwaZulu-Natal in honour of the man of the moment.

The EFF, had held one, before its leader, the outspoken Julius Malema, a long-time admirer and disciple of Mugabe, left for Zimbabwe to pay homage to the hero turned villain.

Perhaps, in a bid to make up for his mega deals misadventures since he assumed the highest office in the land, ED was hell bent to at least strike and call this one a deal.

But unlike November 2017, this time the proverbial monkey missed the branch; no battalion draws arms for a lifeless body.

Mugabe as he had been in the thirty seven years of his reign: a jack and master of all trades still pulled the strings and played the pipe.

A Mugabe triumph came on the 26th of September. Like his election victories, his win was likely and unlikely.

The government, through the ministry of information, issued a statement that the former president would be buried in Zvimba, his rural home.

The government stressed its respect and allegiance to the wishes of the deceased’s family. But is it so?

Amidst moments of Mugabe turning in his casket, in New York at the UN Headquarters, ED was standing on the podium in front of an empty hall.

ED would tweet that he was honoured to have represented his country through his UNGA address.

Mugabe had, during his presidency stood at the same podium chanting pan Africanist rhetoric amidst ecstatic ovation.

Even his enemies would not afford to miss his sharp tongue on them. Probably it is his eloquence and charisma they enjoyed.

On Zimbabwean soil, ED lost the deal with Mugabe’s remains arranged for burial on Saturday the 28th in Zvimba. Talk of the mausoleum is a story for another day. On podiums yonder, Mugabe remains more popular than his long-time lieutenant. 

Where Mugabe received standing ovation, ED stands in front of empty seats enjoying the echo of his voice.

Of course Mugabe died a bitter man, a thing his family and his G40 compatriots have not been able to hide. But like a phoenix he rose to claim victory over his enemies.

With ED having lost to Mugabe wide and far, what’s next? Is the Mugabe victory a sign of G40 ambers glowing in the horizon?

It never rains but pours. We are indeed scheduled for interesting times ahead.

Nkosiyazi Kan Kanjiri is a Social Work Masters Student at the University Of Fort Hare, South Africa.