ZIMBABWE’S POLITICAL HOUSE IS BURNING WHILE THE PEOPLE STARVE

Zimbabwe stands once again at the edge of chaos. Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, the very man who led the 2017 coup that brought Emmerson Mnangagwa to power, has now accused his former ally and political rival, Professor Jonathan Moyo, of treason. The charge? Writing a secret document said to propose delaying the 2028 elections to 2035. But beneath this drama lies something deeper — a broken political system that has forgotten its people.

The fight between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga is not about the future of Zimbabwe. It is about power — raw, selfish, and ruthless power. While the two men battle for control of ZANU PF, millions of Zimbabweans suffer in silence. Prices keep rising. Hospitals are empty. Young people are leaving in thousands. Families are separated by poverty and migration. Yet our so-called leaders are busy plotting who will sit on the throne next instead of fixing the country.

Chiwenga’s accusations against Moyo come just before the ZANU PF conference in Mutare. The event is supposed to discuss the nation’s future, but everyone knows it is just another show of loyalty to Mnangagwa. Rumours are strong that his allies want him to stay in power beyond 2028, even though the Constitution does not allow it. This is the same Constitution he claims to respect. But can a man who came to power through a coup really be trusted to obey the law? The answer is clear — no.

The so-called “Breaking Barriers Initiative” that Chiwenga calls treasonous may be just another smokescreen in this endless power struggle. Both Mnangagwa and Chiwenga have used the same methods before — accusing rivals, calling them criminals, and pretending to defend the nation while looting public funds. The same names appear again: Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Wicknell Chivhayo, Scott Sakupwanya, Delish Nguwaya — businessmen who live in luxury while the ordinary Zimbabwean cannot afford bread. They are not building the country. They are milking it dry.

This fight at the top will not end well. It will only make our lives worse. Whenever ZANU PF fights within itself, the people lose. We saw it in 2008, we saw it in 2017, and we are seeing it again now. Each time the generals and politicians clash, the economy collapses further, and the poor carry the burden. South Africa is already full of Zimbabwean migrants running from hunger and hopelessness. How many more must cross borders before someone in power cares?

Chiwenga and Moyo were once friends. They shared power, money, and privilege. Now they accuse each other of treason. But the truth is, both have betrayed the nation in different ways. Chiwenga helped remove Mugabe not to free the people, but to protect his own interests. Moyo, once a sharp critic of ZANU PF, returned to the same system that destroyed the country. Now they fight like wild dogs over a carcass — the carcass of Zimbabwe’s broken dream.

Ordinary citizens are tired. We are tired of the lies. Tired of the greed. Tired of being used as pawns in the games of the powerful. Every time we think change is coming, the same men who ruined this country appear again, dressed in new suits, making new promises. But the song is the same — “Zimbabwe will rise” — yet it keeps sinking.

Our nation needs real change, not recycled leaders who trade uniforms for suits and call it democracy. We need justice, truth, and leadership that serves the people, not the pockets of the powerful. The Mutare conference may give Mnangagwa a chance to tighten his grip, but history has a way of catching up with tyrants. The people’s patience is not infinite.

Zimbabwe’s house is burning, and those who lit the fire are now fighting over who controls the ashes. But the people will rise again. The fire they started may one day consume them — and out of the smoke, a new Zimbabwe will be born.