ZIMBABWE’S GREAT BETRAYAL: FROM MUGABE TO ANOTHER DICTATOR

On this day in 2017, Zimbabwe was full of hope. Thousands of people marched in the streets. They sang, danced, and carried signs. The message was clear: they wanted Robert Mugabe to step down. The 93-year-old leader had been in power for decades, and the people had had enough. They believed change was finally here.

It felt like a new day for Zimbabwe. The ruling party, ZANU-PF, was ready to fire Mugabe. If he refused to leave, they promised to impeach him. The army had already taken over in what many called a coup. The country was tired of Mugabe’s rule. They wanted a better future. People cheered, thinking they had won.

But now, seven years later, it feels like we made a huge mistake. We thought we were removing one dictator and bringing in something better. Instead, we welcomed another dictator—Emmerson Mnangagwa. He promised us change, but we got the same problems. Some might even say things have gotten worse.

In 2017, people believed Mnangagwa was the answer. They called him “ED,” and some even called him a reformer. He said he would fix the economy and fight corruption. He promised free and fair elections. But these were just words. We were too hopeful to see the truth. We did not think deeply enough about who Mnangagwa really was.

Back then, he was part of the same system as Mugabe. He worked in Mugabe’s government for years. He had been involved in the worst times of our country’s history. The Gukurahundi massacres in the 1980s still haunt many. Mnangagwa’s name is linked to this dark chapter, yet we believed he had changed. We believed his promises.

Once Mnangagwa took over, it did not take long for his true colors to show. He used the army to control protests. He silenced people who spoke out against him. Journalists were arrested, and some disappeared. He did not fix the economy as he promised. Instead, many people became poorer. Zimbabweans are struggling to buy basic things like bread and fuel. Life is hard for most of us.

Elections were another big disappointment. Mnangagwa said he would allow free elections. But the elections were not fair. Reports of cheating and violence were everywhere. Opposition leaders were arrested. The same tactics Mugabe used are now being used by Mnangagwa.

So, what went wrong? Why did we believe Mnangagwa would be different? Maybe we were just desperate. After years of Mugabe’s rule, we wanted to believe anyone would be better. We did not think carefully about what kind of leader we needed. We thought getting rid of Mugabe was enough. But removing one dictator does not always bring freedom. Sometimes, it just brings another dictator.

This is a hard lesson for Zimbabwe. We are paying the price for our mistake. But this is not the end. People in Zimbabwe are strong. We have fought before, and we can fight again. We must learn from what happened in 2017. Next time, we must be more careful. We must choose leaders who will truly fight for us, not just for their power.

Today, as we look back at 2017, it is important to remember what we wanted. We wanted freedom. We wanted fairness. We wanted a better life for everyone. We must keep fighting for these things. We cannot give up.

Zimbabwe deserves better. We deserve leaders who care about the people. The dream we had in 2017 is still alive. It is up to us to make it come true. We must not make the same mistake again.