President Emmerson Mnangagwa is doing everything he can to stop a coup in Zimbabwe. He led a coup in 2017 to take power from Robert Mugabe. In 2019, there was another one quietly planned, and now he fears it could happen again. To stop this, he is changing how the military works and giving them rewards, especially cars. This is because he is fighting with Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga over who will lead after him. Chiwenga used to be in charge of the army for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yesterday, Mnangagwa gave out over 100 cars to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF). He said this was just the first phase. In total, 700 vehicles will be given to the army. He says it is to help the military move around more easily. But many people believe this is more about buying their loyalty so they don\u2019t support Chiwenga in any possible takeover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mnangagwa has also removed many top army leaders since 2017. Some were pushed out, some retired, and some were sent to different jobs far from power. He is making sure only those loyal to him are in top positions. Some of the people who could have challenged him have also died under strange circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This has made the Zanu PF party fight among itself even more. With elections in 2028 coming, people inside the party are trying to grab power early. Next month, there is a party conference in Mutare. It is not an election meeting, but it is still very important. Mnangagwa\u2019s friends want to use the meeting to extend his rule until 2030. That would be a third term, even though the law only allows two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chiwenga and Mnangagwa are expected to fight again in 2027 at the party congress. So both are trying to control the army because the army is very powerful in Zimbabwe\u2019s politics. Even though Chiwenga has strong military history and support, Mnangagwa also has some army background and has been working to break Chiwenga\u2019s support inside the army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mnangagwa\u2019s latest move of giving out cars is part of his long plan to stop another coup. He is using money, rewards, and promotions to win army loyalty. He has created rival units inside the army to make sure no single group can plan a coup alone. He rotates soldiers and commanders so they don\u2019t form tight groups that can rebel. But this has made the army weaker and less professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government has also made secret teams that spy on soldiers and report on them. Military communication is watched closely. Soldiers are also taught to respect civilian leaders and not think about taking over power. They are told to think about the liberation struggle and believe in the party more than their own needs like pay or working conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just like Mugabe before him, Mnangagwa is using gifts like money and luxury items to keep the generals happy. This is not new. It has happened many times. Another trick is promoting people from the same ethnic group or party to top positions. Since 1980, army promotions have mostly been about loyalty and tribe, not skill. This has made the army very political and tribal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 2017, Mnangagwa has removed most of the generals who helped Chiwenga in the 2017 coup. For example, in March 2025, he moved Lieutenant-General Anselem Sanyatwe from the army and made him Minister of Sports. Before that, Sanyatwe was sent to Tanzania as ambassador. Others were sent abroad too. The army has had five different commanders since Mnangagwa took over. Under Mugabe, there was only one in 14 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mnangagwa has also made sure the police and intelligence services are filled with his people. Military officers now run civilian departments. The army is now deeply inside politics. This is part of Zimbabwe\u2019s history but also shows how Zanu PF uses force to stay in power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without the army, Zanu PF would not still be in power. So Mnangagwa keeps changing army leaders, giving out rewards, and playing smart politics to avoid another coup. It\u2019s all about survival.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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