Robert Gabriel Mugabe is a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who has been President of Zimbabwe since 1987. Robert Mugabe has long been criticized for corruption and abuse of power. In Year 2000, he ordered white farmers to give up their land, and two years after that the EU and the US imposed targeted sanctions on Mugabe. Apart from this, many disastrous taken by Mugabe weakened the economy of Zimbabwe.
Mugabe’s pursuit of Power – There was a time when Mugabe was hailed like God in the country and he didn’t wanted to lose his position. In order to fulfill his greedy ambitions, Mugabe thought of establishing a Dynastic rule through his wife Grace Mugabe. To complete his wish, Mugabe fired his longtime ally and Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa (who could succeed him as the next President) and cleared the way for his wife . After Mnangagwa’s removal, Grace Mugabe was the only candidate left to be appointed as the vice president at a special congress of the ruling Zanu-PF party in near the future .
The Chinese Thought – Since Mugabe took power he has been consistently supported by the Chinese government. China has become the second largest trading partner with Zimbabwe and has invested very largely in the country. Since its independence in 1980, the Zimbabwean Government has purchased a range of military hardware from China. More recently, China has helped finance and construct Zimbabwe’s first highly specialized professional military college . China has invested $450 million in agriculture, energy and tourism sectors more than half of all foreign investment into Zimbabwe.
Though,in recent years, Chinese investment in Zimbabwe is bringing huge losses and has also fallen victim to Mugabe’s policy due to which some projects were forced to close down or were moved to other countries. Soon China realized that there is no more potential left under Mugabe’s rule and its started finding a new loyal partner in the country .
The collision of Interests: A visit by Zimbabwean army commander Constantino Chiwenga to China would not normally catch someone’s attention but after looking at the present scenario it becomes important to be noted. The fact that there is just a day’s difference between Chiwenga’s returned from his China trip after meeting senior Chinese military leaders and the coup on Mugabe, clears the air about China’s new found love in Zimbabwe. After his return, Chiwenga along with the military- seized control and placed President Robert Mugabe under house arrest. In that context, Chiwenga’s visit to China has come under scrutiny, with speculation that he had sought China’s tacit approval for a possible move against Mugabe.
General Constantino Chiwenga met with China’s Defence Minister Chang Wanquan
The timing of the coup and Chiwenga’s visit to China draws a clear picture of how once again Chinese silently and financially pushed a country into a chaotic well.
Read More – Did CHINA influence military takeover from Robert Mugabe?
