THE death of Retired Major General Godfrey Chanakira has further exposed the rift between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga.
After initially denying Chanakira national hero status by
simply offering a State-assisted funeral, Mnangagwa later made an embarrassing
U-turn and accorded him the highest honour for heroes.
Chanakira, who succumbed to a heart ailment, was the
permanent secretary in VP Chiwenga’s office.
Mnangagwa’s initial decision surprised the military command
and many in the country because it was against the norm, whereby high ranking
soldiers are normally accorded hero status.
Sources claimed that Mnangagwa was miffed that Chiwenga had
jumped the gun by prematurely bestowing, ahead of him, the national hero status
on the decorated former soldier when he went to pay his condolences to the
family.
“His works, in service of his country, are there for all of
us to see. He is a national hero. But we have internal processes in the party
that we have to follow and a meeting will soon be held, that could be tomorrow
or a day after, to see which honour is most consistent with his work,” Chiwenga
said when he visited the family.
Hours later, deputy presidential spokesperson Regis
Chikowore announced that Mnangagwa had directed that the late army general be
accorded a State-assisted funeral.
Mnangagwa later buckled under internal pressure following
murmurs of disapproval in the corridors of power and the military command,
sources said.
Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet,
Misheck Sibanda confirmed that the national hero status decision was reached
after further consultations.
“The late Chanakira (Rtd), whose Chimurenga name was comrade
Garikai Musavengana, who had been granted a State-assisted funeral, has now
been declared a national hero following further consultations,” he said in a
statement.
Although the hero status should be a national issue, Zanu
PF has over the years monopolised the National Heroes Acre, where its members
have been exclusively buried.
The late former President Robert Mugabe went as far as
telling the opposition and other critics to construct their own Heroes Acre if
not satisfied with the status quo.
Observers say Mnangagwa has been consolidating his power
base by either retiring army commanders who were central to his ascendancy to
power, or by posting them outside the country.
“Mnangagwa wanted to show Chiwenga who is the real boss by
denying Chanakira hero status. The mere fact that Chiwenga has maintained close
relations with his former colleagues in the army is making the President
uneasy,” political analyst Pardon Taodzera said.
Differences between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga emerged after
the November 2017 coup over several issues such as key appointments, including
Cabinet posts and Mnangagwa’s tenure.
Chanakira, alongside other five generals Thando Madzvamuse,
Evaristo Dzihwema, Chancellor Diye, Gerald Gwinji and Mike Nicholas Sango, were
retired soon after Mnangagwa ascended to power following the coup.
Other commanders, who were a vital cog of the coup and were
retired, include Zimbabwe National Army chief-of-staff, the late retired
Lieutenant-General Douglas Nyikayaramba, who was posted to Mozambique, and
former head of presidential guard, Ansleem Sanyatwe, who is now ambassador to
Tanzania. Newsday
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