HARARE – The recent stunning defeat of Botswana’s long-ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) has sent ripples across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), prompting outspoken commentary from South African opposition leader Mmusi Maimane.
Maimane, leader of Build One South Africa (BOSA), has boldly predicted the imminent downfall of Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF, drawing parallels with the BDP’s historic loss and other recent electoral shifts in the region.
President-elect Duma Gideon Boko’s landslide victory in Botswana ended the BDP’s 58-year reign, a seismic event that Maimane believes foreshadows a similar fate for Zanu-PF. He pointed to the BDP’s open support from Zanu-PF, including rallies addressed by Zanu-PF legal secretary Patrick Chinamasa, as evidence of a shared fate.
“Chest pains. Zanu PF is next. We know you wanted your best friend Masisi to win but Batswana said no,” Maimane declared, referencing the close ties between the two parties.
This open support, however, contrasted sharply with President Mnangagwa’s delayed and formally muted congratulatory message to President-elect Boko, delivered through Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira, rather than directly from the President himself.
This is unlike Mnangagwa’s prompt congratulations to FRELIMO’s Daniel Chapo in Mozambique, even before official results were announced, a fact noted by many observers.
The Zambian electoral victory of opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema over incumbent Edgar Lungu further fuels Maimane’s assessment. These regional shifts, coupled with the ongoing protests in Mozambique questioning the FRELIMO victory, paint a picture of changing political landscapes across the SADC region.
Zanu-PF, despite its continued hold on power, has faced consistent criticism from human rights defenders, politicians, and civil society for its controversial methods of maintaining its grip on power.
Adding fuel to the fire, award-winning and veteran investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono observed on his Facebook account:
“The dictators in SADC are still in denial. Zimbabwean tyrant Emmerson Mnangagwa who is the SADC Chairman has not congratulated Botswana’s incoming president; he will heal. His ZANUPF thugs were busy campaigning for BDP which only got 4 seats. The only notable congratulatory message has come from President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, a lone voice in the fight against rigged elections. The failure to publicly congratulate the winners after Masisi and BDP have conceded is not only strange, but embarrassing. Yet Mnangagwa congratulated FRELIMO and Daniel Chapo before the results of the disputed election were out, maybe because he sent ZANUPF supporters to vote in the Mozambican elections.”
Chin’ono’s comments highlight the perceived hypocrisy and strategic silence surrounding Mnangagwa’s actions.
Maimane’s pronouncements extend beyond simply predicting Zanu-PF’s demise. He also directed pointed advice towards Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, urging him to bolster his strategies ahead of the 2028 Zimbabwean elections. This followed a post by Chamisa on X, quoting Ecclesiastes 9:11, which reflects on the unpredictable nature of life and success.
Maimane responded directly to Chamisa’s post, stating: “We need you to get your house in order and properly prepare for 2028. It’s not easy to remove a dominant party and it requires a strong Nehemiah strategy. Faith with one hand and action with the other. We cannot have one family running a whole country. Zimbabwe is not a Mnangagwa franchise.”
Maimane’s message underscores the need for a robust and well-defined strategy beyond mere faith and inspirational quotes. This advice comes against the backdrop of Zanu-PF’s recent decision to push for a constitutional amendment extending President Mnangagwa’s term from five to seven years, from 2028 to 2030.
A key resolution from their 21st National People’s Conference explicitly stated: “The President and First Secretary of ZANU PF Party, His Excellency, Cde. Dr E. D. Mnangagwa’s term of office as President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and First Secretary of ZANU PF be extended beyond 2028 to 2030. The Party and Government should, therefore, set in motion the necessary amendments to the National Constitution so as to give effect to this resolution.”
